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Here's an item about a potential bioattack in Japan. Didn't the AQ's threaten a maritime attack on Japan? I wonder if we are looking at AQ exploding germ filled container boats in harbors.

Herald Tribune/Asahi Asahi Weekly from SiliconValley from NY Times.com

PREPARE FOR TERROR: U.S. health chief warns of bio-attack
By TSUTOMU YAMASHITA,The Asahi Shimbun

Japan should follow the lead of the United States in preparing for bio-terrorism attacks that are certain to hit both countries, the U.S. secretary of health and human services said Monday.

``It is not if there is going to be an attack in Japan, it is when it is going to be,'' Tommy G. Thompson said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun.

``Japan is going to have a bio-terrorism attack sometime in the future, just like America is going to have.''

Thompson said there are terrorists everywhere, even in democratic countries. The March 11 terrorist attack in Madrid shows they can strike at any time, he said.

Thompson urged Japan, which has yet to compile a comprehensive plan to deal with bio-terrorism, to take a close look at what the United States has done.

``We have 8,000 medical personnel that practice medicine full-time in hospitals and clinics during the daytime, but have been trained by my department so that if we have a bio-terrorism attack, we can call them up and deploy them into any state, any community,'' he said.

Such personnel can vaccinate and organize emergency procedures in the event of a terrorist attack, he said.

``I urge your (Japanese) government to come and see what I am doing and look at ways in which they could replicate the same things in Japan,'' he said.

Thompson also noted that the United States has 600 tons of medical supplies, equipment, and anti-viral drugs ready for use following a terrorist attack.

``We can deploy into any city in America within seven hours 50 tons of medical supplies and equipment in order to control a bio-terrorism attack,'' he said.

Thompson was in Japan as chairman of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at an international symposium titled ``Human Security Challenges of HIV/AIDS and Communicable Diseases in Asia.''

The symposium was held at a hotel in Tokyo on Monday.(IHT/Asahi: March 23,2004) (03/23)

``Japan is going to have a bio-terrorism attack sometime in the future, just like America is going to have.''

Is this the first time Thompson has been this specific? That we ARE going to see a BIO attack?

It seems to me that previous comments have been that it's highly likely we will see terrorist attacks, but I don't remember them being this specific regarding bio. Usually suicide bomber/bio/chem/nuke

I had my vibe going on yesterday when I couldn't access the net.

The one thing that came up was maritime and Florida, the ship thing was extremely strong