Posted on 01/18/2006 8:53:58 PM PST by llevrok
OTTAWA (CP) - A new Hollywood film will dramatize the story of how contaminated blood from Arkansas prisoners found its way into the veins of thousands of Canadian hemophiliacs, killing many.
Blood Trail will make revelations that point to criminal negligence and raise suspicions of murder, says Elizabeth Fowler of Clear Pictures Entertainment
"There's bits here and bits there and that's how they managed to get away with it. You put it all together and you go, 'Whoa!' "
An RCMP investigation has been underway for close to five years, but no charges have been laid in connection with the prison blood.
Charges have been filed against leading figures in the Canadian Red Cross and the federal Bureau of Biologics but they don't involve the Arkansas connection.
Fowler said Blood Trail, which is expected to be released in about a year, will feature some prominent characters: Bill Clinton and Paul Martin.
Clinton, who went on to become U.S. president, was Arkansas governor in the 1980s when inmates in a state prison were allowed to run their own blood program without screening for infections.
A now-defunct Montreal company, Continental Pharma, bought the blood from Arkansas, then sold it to Connaught Laboratories of Toronto.
Connaught was controlled at the time by a Crown corporation, Canada Development Corp. (CDC), of which Martin was a director.
CDC minutes from the time went missing but some reappeared in the files of a Calgary chemical company.
The story is marked by many strange coincidences. On the same night in May 1999, Galster's clinic in Arkansas was firebombed and the offices of the Canadian Hemophilia Society were burgled.
An Arkansas prison warden was found murdered just as he was about to talk about the story, said Fowler.
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
I'm watching that one.
The gifts that keep on giving.
Do you think the creators of this movie will be treated like hero's by the American left. The Canadians won't care because it will be more evil America hand wringing.
Either this film will not implicate Clinton, or else it will never be released. Take your pick.
I'm the last one to jump at a defense of the Clinton's, but this seems to go to far. Nobody was testing for HIV then ( as far as I know) and I'm all for a prison system making a buck on the back of the inmates. Crap, I can't believe I am doing this. Now I feel dirty all over.
It will not be released. It does seem stupid. The Canadians are blaming another country for their problems...crazy folks. Hopefully in a few days they can have another positive direction.
Actually, the tainted blood scandal was kicking around while Clinton was still president, and some of the tainted blood was indeed traced back to donations from an Arkansas prison during the time that Clinton was governor of Arkansas. Someone was probably getting some graft for getting prisoners to donate blood. Maybe Clinton was involved in some way. But I have never heard any conclusive proof of it. And we never will.
IIRC, the larger problem was hepatitis, which was screened for at the time, but doesn't make as splashy a headline. Also, I think that some HIV testing had gone into place before this practice ended.
Here for the BIG picture:
http://www.info-implants.com/tony/Implant/02.html
Here are links to articles from the past for those who want to catch up.
Indeed, it is very much like old times, my good friend!
Heads up folks.
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Related, current FR threads:
Clinton blood scandal exposed in new film.
Scandal of infected US blood revealed in film exposé (Clinton Linked to UK Bad Blood)
Nice bumping into you. Seems like it's been a generation, in FReeper years. ;-)
Excellent link there. Thanks!
you're welcome 'newbie' ;)
It certainly has been a long time! Jeepers, time goes by faster the older I get.
LOL At least you didn't call me a troll. ;-)
This film is probably why Bubba came out last week as the broker of "deal" with the drug companies for reducing the costs of AIDS drugs for Africa.
Timing is everything in the political world.
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