Dr. Razsi’s 2006 thesis, supervised by Ken Alibek, considers domestic terrorism to include the pursuit, [etc]. or use against humans in the United States. For the purposes of his study, domestic bioterrorism can be perpetrated by U.S. Persons or non-U.S. persons located within the United States.
This was always a common mistaken Mr. Lake made — he would seize on Ari Fleischer’s use of the word ‘domestic” and ignore Attorney Ashcroft’s explanation of how the term was being used.
Dr. Razsi explains:
“”Not all bioterrorists work in a laboratory or have access to dangerous pathogens. Several of the measures recommended focus on biohazardous facilities because the nexus of people and pathogens is a critical vulnerability and possibly a rich information source that currently is untapped. However, intelligence can be collected from a variety of sources, including academia and the private sector, for those who do not have access to pathogens still pose a bioterrorist threat. Such persons are the ‘locals’ and have the best feel for detecting odd situations that ‘don’t feel right ‘... — they are accustomed to the culture and nuances of daily life and better at separating suspicious activity from normal occurrences.
The importance of this reporting stream cannot be underestimated. In 2003, CBS News reported on al-Qa’ida’s efforts to pursue B anthracis — as a biological weapon. A top al-Qa’ida planner, Hambali allegedly was pursuing development of a biological weapons laboratory and recruited Yazid Sufaat — a member of al-Qa-ida affiliate group Jema Islamyah. According to media reporting, Sufaat obtained a degree in chemistry and laboratory science from California State University at Sacramento. Although Sufaat reportedly has been captured by Malaysian authorities, this information demonstrates the possibility that future terrorists could be studying in U.S. universities or working in the U.S. biotechnology sector and could use their knowledge for malicious purposes. Sufaat was a foreigner but future actors could be U.S. Persons.”
“There are dozens of examples in which U.S.-based students, scientists, or medical personnel exploited their positions and attempted or succeeded acquiring, developing, or using biological weapons. Given these cases it is important to have an open channel to the front line observers — professors, technicians, managers, and others who have information of importance.”
“By making individuals aware of signs they should watch for and how to report them, we elicit overt, voluntary human intelligence from a nationwide network that already is in place and knowledgeable. No government agency could cover that much territory nor would it be tolerated by the scientific and academic communities.”
I first identified Yazid Sufaat as an anthrax lab tech in March 2002. Ed gave his usual unthinking rebuttal, using the “conspiracy theory” and “true believer” ad hominem labels. (It spares him any critical analysis of the facts). His argument against Al Qaeda being responsible is that the hijackers were dead, dead, dead.
In November 2002, the FBI first interviewed Yazid.
President Bush says they didn’t realize his central role in Zabadi until after Hambali were captured in 2003. Then his assistants Barq and Wahdan were captured.
Tenet says Sufaat wrapped up his work in the Summer and briefed Ayman and Hambali over the course of a week. He says Zabadi, the anthrax weaponization program, was compartmentalized at the highest level.
That’s what I told the CIA about Ayman’s anthrax program in December 2001 and we’re still talking about First Graders five years later. Personally, I think the suppression of information relates partly because DARPA doesn’t want to take the hit for allowing a hardline Salafist, who had a high level security clearance relating to bioinformatics work, access to a DARPA funded Center for Biodefense. I don’t bother to call it a cover-up. I just urge that if the FBI and CIA doesn’t bring this is to a close, they risk having to explain the next 9/11 to some pretty upset folks.
And if the GMU Biodefense threat assessment folks are clueless about al-Timimi because he was a few years ahead of them, how the heck do they think they are going to pierce the networking that led to the folks recruited by Ayman and Atef?
The key, the final piece to the puzzle, is Islambouli, the brother of Sadat’s assassin. He was long in a cell with KSM. It turns out he is the key to Amerithrax.