CIA links Porton Down to anthrax attacks

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 12/17/2001 | Ben Fenton

[Pokey78]

THE FBI is concentrating its hunt for the source of the anthrax used to terrorise America on laboratories used by the CIA and British government scientists.

Only five laboratories, including the defence science and technology laboratories at Porton Down, Salisbury, have been found to have spores of anthrax identical to the bacteria sent through the post to two Democratic senators and news organisations in New York and Florida.

But frustrated FBI agents say they have not been able to find enough information about security at Porton Down - one of the most secretive establishments in Britain - to decide whether it could be the source of the terrorists' anthrax.

Another focus of the FBI inquiry is the CIA, which has been conducting experiments on anthrax in the interests of defence from germ warfare.

Both Porton Down, directly, and the CIA, indirectly, received their samples of the particular anthrax spores used in the attacks from the US army medical research institute of infectious diseases at Fort Detrick, about 50 miles north of Washington.

Sources in the FBI said the CIA was under investigation because of the bureau's "interest" in a contractor which used to work for the agency in its anthrax project.

The FBI believes the attacks, which have killed five people, to be the work of a domestic terrorist, although they have not ruled out links with Osama bin Laden and his al-Qa'eda network.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

FYI

[Nogbad]

ping

[Nogbad]

ping

[goody2shooz]

Maybe ELF has stopped their pristine habit of only firebombing and destroying inanimate objects. The anthrax epidemic that hit England earlier this year occurred after some animal rights people went through the Porton Down facility.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if the American anthrax terrorist activity was perpetrated by animal rights extremists over here. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

[Nogbad]

ping

[maestro]

Finally!!
1. Porton Down
2. Utah
3. ____________and Dr. Don C. Wiley?

[mrsmith]

Aren't you thinking of the foot and mouth disease outbreak?
A vial of the stuff was missing after a eco-terrorist tour of the place (though, frankly, I found it hard to believe it would be that easy to pocket a vial of the stuff- one never knows).

[Mitchell]

What is in Utah?

[maestro]

What is in Utah?

THAT 'is' a VERY good question!!!
Enough said!
:-(
:-)

[sistergoldenhair]

Maybe they should look at our college campuses in the science department. Then see who is enrolled to study anthrax

Good thought.
The security on passing this stuff around has been very lax. May not be someone studying anthrax, but someone studying similar diseases.
There is a lot of "sharing" in academic research and government provides considerable resources for these studies.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[Mitchell]

Perhaps :-).

But I assumed you meant some connection with Porton Down or Wiley or anthrax?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads ups!!!

[Mitchell]

The anthrax epidemic that hit England earlier this year occurred after some animal rights people went through the Porton Down facility.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if the American anthrax terrorist activity was perpetrated by animal rights extremists over here. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

I've never understood this theory. Why would animal-rights activists have killed animals? That's contrary to everything they believe in. They might have freed animals, or targeted the people involved, but what happened is different.

As for the anthrax attacks, why would an animal-rights group have targeted American Media, the NY Post, Tom Brokaw, Sen. Daschle, and Sen. Leahy?

[Mitchell]

Didn't El-Hibri of Bioport hold a position of authority at Porton Down?

[Nogbad]

I believe I heard that but I can't provide a source.

[Mitchell]

The business resource site Hoover's Online UK has a biography of BioPort Chairman and CEO Fuad El-Hibri. It states that, earlier, he organized and directed the management buyout of Porton Products Ltd., a British biotech company. Other references state that Porton Products was the British supplier of anthrax vaccine during the Gulf War.

I don't know what the connection is, if any, between the corporation Porton Products and the biowarfare lab Porton Down.