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.

[Shermy]

BB's thread from yesterday, with Portuguese language resources.

Babelfish translation on anthrax ship story with name of victim

[Shermy]

ping

[CFW]

Apparently he disobeyed instructions. "Do not open the suitcase". Curiosty killed the cat.

[boris]

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

Curiosity killed the...cat?

[boris]

Apparently he disobeyed instructions. "Do not open the suitcase". Curiosty killed the cat."

Two minds with but a single thought.

As in the Worst-Case Survival Scenario Handbook on "How to Deal With a Raging Bull": (1) Do not antagonize the bull.

--Boris

[coloradan]

Right wing Christian militia nutcases. No doubt about it! /sarcasm

[Shermy]

My first question (naturally) - does Ibrahim have emotional problems about J.Lo?

[aynrandfreak]

Uh, anyone else for raising the terror alert level? Al Qaeda tends to plan simultaneous attacks.

[CFW]

Well, maybe it was greed that killed Ibrahim Sayed Ibrahim.

(But, curiosity still killed the cat).

[Mamzelle]

Take note of his intended destination.

[cynicom]

Was this guy a redneck??? If so the FBI will be hot on the case.

[twigs]

which he was taking to Canada.

Canada again. First SARS. Now anthrax.

[FairOpinion]

And it's very lucky for us, he opened it. It was probably being taken to Canada, to be smuggled into the US from there.

[wideminded]

Hopefully, before he died, the police asked him where he got the suitcase and to whom he was going to deliver it.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Uncle Miltie]

This is one that got opened. How many were not opened by their couriers?

[Guenevere]

#13...No doubt!
Providential for us!!

[Dialup Llama]

Did they stop the ship? Do they have the suitcase?

[FairOpinion]

No, it was actually Steve Hatfill, first exporting the anthrax to Egypt, after making it in the US himself, of course, then bringing it back, to make it look like he is not involved. After all, the FBI said, he was the "anthrax killer". ( also sarcasm).

It's always been Saddam & Al Qaeda.

[SuziQ]

Take note of his intended destination.

That was my first thought. To whom was this package supposed to be delivered, and did the police start looking for the Canadian contact before the news media splashed that info around?