Aussies fear self-infected terrorists

Washington Times ^ | May 1, 2004 | UPI

[FairOpinion]

Canberra, , May. 1 (UPI) -- Australia is planning for the possibility of terrorists infecting themselves with deadly germs and then spreading the disease through the population.

This new concept of suicide bioterrorism will be discussed during a closed-door Monday workshop in Canberra by the director of terrorism studies at the Australian National University, Clive Williams, the Australian reported Saturday.

[FairOpinion]

This is a possibility anywhere.

I would feel a lot less concerned, if at least the government would make smallpox vaccines available.

[traumer]

sort of biological suicide-bombers...

[GeronL]

"Aye, mate... whats all that splotchy skin about then eh?"

Allah Akhbar!!!

"Um, sure. Whatever floats your boat, mate... hey, stand away will ya? Your bleeding from every pore and sore, you need a morgue to lie down in... Have you met my pet Crock?? I named him May Day."

[FairOpinion]

Exactly.

Related article:

Secret bio-terror defence plan
By Ean Higgins and Cameron Stewart
May 01, 2004
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9437811%255E2702,00.html


AUSTRALIA has secretly planned for the possibility of a horrific attack in which suicide terrorists infect themselves with deadly germs and then spread the disease through the population.

Although intelligence agencies say they know of no specific threat to launch a bioterror attack, the possibility has been treated seriously enough to trigger planning within government and emergency services.

'Yes, it is a scenario that has been considered and, yes, there has been some planning done with it,' a spokesman for Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told The Weekend Australian yesterday.

The potential threat posed by this new concept of 'suicide bioterrorism' will be discussed at a closed-door workshop in Canberra on Monday by the director of terrorism studies at the Australian National University, Clive Williams.

His address comes at a time of growing concern around the world about the lack of defence against developing threats of bioterrorism.

A CIA report released in November warned advances in biotechnology had greatly increased the potential danger of biological warfare.

'The effects of some of these engineered biological agents could be worse than any disease known to man,' the CIA said.

In response, US President George W.Bush this week signed a raft of measures designed to improve defences against a bio-terror attack, including a new national centre to assess new threats.

The bio-terror warnings came as Mr Ruddock and Transport Minister John Anderson revealed an ASIO assessment had found there was a 'very low to medium risk' that the al-Qa'ida network would attack Australian ships and ports.

Mr Williams will address carefully vetted security officials from government and the private sector as part of an Engineers Australia workshop about suicide bombings.

Some diseases, such as anthrax, are not contagious. Others offer the prospect of an epidemic through 'secondary transmission'.

Mr Williams told The Weekend Australian that bio-terrorists could infect themselves with a contagious disease such as smallpox or ebola. Between the time the person became contagious and the time he or she became too sick to move around, the terrorist would go into crowded public areas and try to spread the disease by close contact.

Smallpox was eradicated in 1980 and stocks of the virus are kept at only two locations, one in the US and one in Russia.

But Ian Ramshaw, head of vaccine immunology at the Australian National University, said terrorists could possibly recreate it or produce a new 'designer' disease in the laboratory. A plan has been developed requiring hospitals and doctors to report immediately any symptoms in patients for six diseases suspected of bio-terrorist potential: smallpox, anthrax, tularemia, botulism, and plague, and viral haemorrhagic fevers such as ebola.

[FairOpinion]

How are you going to keep these people off airplanes, away from airports and malls.

All the airport screeners in the world are useless against such things.

Goes back to PROFILING, PROFILING, PROFILING.

Watch for types of people NOT objects, watch for Arabs and Muslims, not Grandma's nailclippers.

[traumer]

This is very disturbing.
I hope this discussion doesn't provide Them with ideas... well, too late.

[GeronL]

I agree with you.

[WorkingClassFilth]

While this is obviously a bad thing, a possible benefit might arise...

Given the threat of engineered plagues, the most prudent measure during wartime conditions will be to quarantine carriers and exposed persons a vectors in camps under direct control of military forces. Given the inevitability of this measure under wartime conditions, the coverage of such measures will certainly reach the populace at home and, possibly, promote a renewed dialogue on the use of the idea for vector populations in the U.S. such as AID's carriers and foreign nationals that are determined as being 'at risk' for diseases like HIV/AID. It is not a far step from that concept to a renewed discussion on border control and interdiction.

[clintonh8r]

I hope God has created a special ring in Hell for these "people."

[traumer]

I am not a psychologist or a historian... what's so scary and almost fascinating (at least to me) is that after the WWI, WWII, the Cold War etc. - this may be the first time that WE (the humankind) may be experiencing nations dropping like flies...

Or am I just too paranoid?

[FairOpinion]

They already have the ideas and the viruses.

They probably would prefer to use aerosol, because it infectws many more people immediately, but they'll probably settle for infected terrorists.

That's why I just don't understand why we aren't taking defensive measures at least against the diseases we do have vaccines for, such as smallpox.

[FairOpinion]

The problem is that WE could be one of those nations.

[isom35]

sounds like an episode of the Jack Bauer Power Hour.

[endthematrix]

Plot foiled to use AIDS-tainted blood in terror attack
Tue., April 13, 2004
By Amos Harel

An attack using AIDS-infected blood was among several planned suicide attempts, two by women, that security forces thwarted over the Passover holiday.

One of two Tanzim activists caught at the end of March told interrogators the group that sent them had planned a series of other attacks, including one with a device to which blood infected with AIDS would be attached.

Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security sources, however, agree that the plan had not reached a practical stage. Another planned attack was a triple suicide bombing by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip.

Sa'id Salah, 19, of Jebalyah refugee camp, was arrested at the Katif bloc barrier on April 5. He told interrogators he was supposed to be one of three suicide bombers, who were to blow themselves up simultaneously in one of the large cities.

Their operators were also planning to kidnap a settler near Kedumim.

The suicide bombers, whose explosive belts were ready, were to have gone from the Gaza Strip to Egypt by tunnel and then enter Israel through Sinai.

The three - from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah - planned to wear IDF uniforms for the bombing.

Activists arrested

The same day two Islamic Jihad activists, who had planned a combined shooting and grenade attack in Tel Aviv or Beer Sheva, were arrested at Rafah border crossing.

Two Palestinians from Nablus, one aged 16, who were sent to carry out a suicide attack in an Israeli restaurant, were also arrested earlier this month. The two were dispatched by Fatah and Islamic Jihad.

At the end of March a Balata resident was arrested on suspicion of planning a Fatah suicide attack in Tel Aviv. The 25-year old woman, who apparently was discovered cheating on her husband, was ordered to carry out the bombing for family honor.

Another woman, 19, of Nablus, was arrested a few days later. She had been ordered to carry out a suicide bombing, after her family discovered she had been romantically involved before her marriage.

Ten others whose names appeared on wanted lists were arrested in Nablus and the surrounding area, suspected of trying to set up suicide bombings.

They included three would-be suicide bombers and the head of the cell is Isma'il Haraz, whom security sources say got orders from the Hezbollah guerrilla group in Lebanon.

[dennisw]

Human crop dusters. Another fine Islamic contribution to the world.

[endthematrix]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1116499/posts

[endthematrix]

Hutu extremists who massacred up to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates used mass rape as a weapon. Genocide by HIV/AIDS. What is going on in Africa now?????