Egyptian Sailor Dies in Brazil From Anthrax- Brazil Police

Reuters ^ | April 28, 2003

[Shermy]

BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - A crew member of an Egyptian merchant ship has died in northern Brazil, almost certainly from anthrax, after opening a suitcase suspected of containing the substance which he was taking to Canada.

A spokesman for Brazilian federal police in the Amazon state of Para said on Monday an autopsy of the Egyptian man, whom he named as Ibrahim Saved Soliman Ibrahim, showed that he had died after vomiting, internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.

"He was the victim of anthrax," said Castro, adding that police were 90 percent certain that Ibrahim had died of anthrax.

Ibrahim died in the hotel were he was staying on April 11. Several health workers who found his body were taken to a hospital after becoming ill but are now out of danger.

Ibrahim had traveled to Brazil from Cairo to join his ship, the Wabi Alaras, which loaded bauxite in the Amazon to take to Canada.

"We imagine that this is about bioterrorism and Brazil was just used as a point of transfer," said Castro.

Ibrahim died before his ship sailed to Canada, where it was quarantined by authorities last week.

Canada was alerted about the ship through Interpol.

Castro said Ibrahim had been given the suitcase in Cairo by an unidentified person and was due to deliver it to somebody in Canada. But he doubted Ibrahim knew what the content of the bag was otherwise he most likely would not have opened it.

"He opened it because he was curious," Castro said.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, five people died in still-unsolved anthrax mailings.

[prairiebreeze]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, hmmmmm? and yes.

Prairie

[nicmarlo]

unless Ibrahim was aware he was doing something illegal.

Ah, but there's the rub, aristeides. He may have known something, but not enough to know it would kill him. As I understand it, many (if not all) the suicide/murderers on 9/11 planes did not know that they, indeed, were going to be doing that. I think even Bush alluded to that fact. It's a curiousity about what this guy knew, that's for sure.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Canada again..First SARS..now anthrax..

That is scary.

[Shermy]

The newspaper I can find so far from Belem, O Liberal, seems to have a problem with its search function.

In Fortaleza is the newspaper "O Povo". Here'sa story from them. (BTW "Antraz" is the word in Portuguese):


http://www.noolhar.com/opovo/brasil/245936.html

Egyptian can have been infectado for anthrax [ 28 April 00h51min ] The superintendent of the Federal Policy of Pará, Geraldo Araújo, said to be great the possibility of Ibrahim Sayed Ibrahim - that she died on board the Egyptian ship Wadi Al-Arab in last day 11 - to have been infectado for anthrax. Araújo does not discard the hypothesis of attempt of terrorist act. The boat, that left Brazil with destination to Canada, is restrained since the last friday in the port of Halifax, later that Instituto Médico Legal (IML) of Belém pointed indications of contamination for the bacterium, used in biological weapons, in the body of Ibrahim. It died while the boat was brought alongside in the Port of Trumpets, in Pará. ' ' we do not discard the terrorism hypothesis, but she is necessary to confirm first if the contamination was, in fact, provoked for anthrax. It has 90% of possibility of being, but the result of the contratest, that must be divulged by the Institute Evandro Chagas between days 2 and 3, only is that it will show to this '', affirmed Araújo. In accordance with the superintendent, the policy investigates the version from that Ibrahim received an order in the Cairo, of where left for São Paulo. ' ' It came of airplane for Brazil and if he found with the crew of the ship in the Amapá. The luggage was sealed up and restrained in Belém after its death and alone will be analyzed later that the cadavérico examination to be ready ' '.

[wideminded]

The ship will be diverted to Halifax where it will be inspected for possible anthrax contamination. Officials said it will not be allowed into any other port until it's proven to be free of the bacterial disease.

Hopefully this won't lead to another disaster in Halifax. They've already had enough problems.

[sheikdetailfeather]

You idea about all WMD we can't find in Iraq coming this direction is frightening! But very believable. Yikes!

[aristeides]

I haven't seen this story on Drudge. I haven't seen this story on lucianne.com. I haven't heard this story on talk radio. Are we the only ones who can put two and two together?

[Grampa Dave]

Sounds like a good plot for one of the chapters in your new book.

[Lady Heron]

Once a foreign ship is at the port, it must be guarded to make sure no on seizes the opportunity to get into the country. I.N.S., Border Patrol, and the U.S. Coast says keeping an eye on the Wadi Al Arab is no different than guarding any other ship from a foreign country

O.K. if it is standard procedure to guard a ship comming in from an other country why did this ship cause enough of a stir to get a mention in a paper? We knew that something was up with ship back in Feb.. Was this ship suspected of being one of the ships run by Al-Quada?

[Shermy]

Here's another Belem/Para paper web site I found: Diario do Para

I can't find an internal search engine there, but here's a front page link to an Antraz article:

Exame pode confirmar morte por Antraz

[aristeides]

I suspect they've all been instructed not to report certain things. I wonder how the orders are passed.

[cibco]

For your interest...

[Shermy]

http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/story.asp?id=62370BB9-7BE7-4C50-95FE-472097B6A7E8

Anthrax results expected tonight

By David Redwood
The Daily News

Test results are expected this evening on whether anthrax is aboard the Egyptian bulk carrier Wadi al Arab. The tests were done Saturday after department officials visited the ship, moored off Halifax Harbour. Its chief officer, Ibrahim Sayed Ibrahim, had died about 10 days ago. He was taken off the ship in Brazil. Anthrax bacilli were discovered in his body, but a final autopsy report is not expected to be available until tomorrow. Ibrahim died of septicemia, which occurs when toxins from the bacteria enter the blood stream and do damage to the organs. There was strong hemorrhaging of the lungs, pancreas and brain, a symptom consistent with anthrax poisoning. — With CP files

[_Jim]

Several health workers who found his body were taken to a hospital after becoming ill but are now out of danger.

Was Cipro administered to these 'health care' workers?

IF NOT - it probably WASN'T anthrax ...

[Shermy]

BTW, in the fog of journalism I can't tell if this guy ever went on the ship with the supposed Anthrax. Sounds like he flew in from Egypt, but didn't get on the ship perhaps - died in his hotel room.

[_Jim]

This is the most dynamite story of the year.

"Foreign Wool Blankets."

There's your story ...

[Shermy]

Several health workers who found his body were taken to a hospital after becoming ill but are now out of danger.

could be panic related, when they heard the word "antraz"