Physics of anthrax is beyond al-Qaida, Sandia Labs expert says

Albuquerqque Tribune ^ | 10/26/01 | By Sue Major Holmes

[Attillathehon]

But within the capacity of home-grown American "hate" groups? Which is it, folks?

Of course not. But whoever dispersed it, didn't have to make it themselves. It could have been stolen from an American laboratory. Although, if stolen in a large enough quanitity, we probably would know about it. And since they are saying that if would be difficult to reproduce, that brings us back to Iraq or the Russian black market.

[VOA]

The current attacks suggest "roomfuls of equipment, specialties in aerosol
physics and lots of testing," Zelicoff said.

No, it couldn't be that three or four talented microbiologists, biochemical
engineers, and other former academics entranced by Osama could have possibly "thought outside
the box" and came up with a break-through.
Totally impossible.

I just love the doctrinaire tone of some PhDs.
"Well, we have lots of degrees and can barely do the job, therefore, someone else
without our credentials couldn't possibly do it."

This is the kind of thinking we heard from US military planners before the Japanese
Naval aviators suprised them with the Long Lance torpedo at Pearl Harbor.
(the gospel to that point was that a torpedo couldn't operate well in such shallow waters,
if I understand correctly)

[Senator Pardek]

Iraq, Czech Republic may be sources of anthrax

Czechs confirm Atta met with Prague-based Iraqi diplomat

[GeekDejure]

Beware of all e-mails with an attachment called "SqueezePleeze.WPS" (e.g., White Powdery Substance) !!!

[Free Vulcan]

As my uncle says, 'PhD stands for Piled High & Deep.'

[Don Joe]

"My gut feeling is that what is happening now is a field trial.

"The real one will be a massive distribution with mutated anthrax."

I agree except for the last part of your statement. I think they sent out a variety of trial compounds, variations on the same antrax base. That they did in fact use that scenario has been established, which leaves only the intent up to speculation. I think that having run their trials, they now know which formulation is the most effective, thanks to their selection of high-profile recipients, which guaranteed that they'd get the feedback they sought.

I expect them to hit again, and hard, but with the same compound that they determined to be the most effective. I don't think they'll use anything that's different from what they used in the successful trial, because 1) that would introduce an unknown variable into the formula, and 2) I doubt they've got mutated anthrax, which -- according to the pre-9/11 reports (IMO the only "untainted" information) -- can only come from the US, Russia, or the UK. Since they (again, according to pre-9/11 available information) used a type of anthrax that can only come from Iraq, their relationship to that country would exclude anything but the non-resistant weaponized spored.

Of course if they did have access to American or Russian anthrax, they'd in theory be able to hit us with a resistant strain, however, I think it's a stretch to think that they'd have the ability to obtain those strains, and if they did have them, I think they'd have used them in their trials, because of reason #1 above.

[chemainus]

Helloooo out there ....anybody home ???// You...WE ...The United States ....leftist academia....all GROVEL to push foreign students into our most sensitive labs !!!!! Hello..... any body listening ???? Who is surprised that anybody including Al Quaeda operatives ( oops ...politically insensitive...I really meant poor little ole' AlQuaeda STUDENTS and FACULTY over here just a'longin for Democracy ) have anthrax dispersal technology ??/ We fawn and mumble and grovel to give them the whole damned store !!!! This is true...everyone in academia knows this....the university pampered just love to do ANYTHING for the foreigners if it is politically correct ( translate , the gubbimint then rewards them with big grants) or they have their hand stuck deep into some Chinese or Arab pocket.... Hello out there...come on in to academia and see for yourself ...

[chemainus]

The admin and the Clinton/Reno perverts ( most of the FBI) would love to pin it on Waco types......but given the MASSIVE giveaways everyday in the form of unscreened foreign nationals inside our labs and privy to EVERYTHING, at all hours of the night and day, unlimited access ; Al Quaeda could very easily manufacture high-dispersal spores inside the university/research lab environment right under academia's twisted nose......IMHO and observation !

[Cyber Liberty]

It's my understanding that it's also beyond Al-Queda's ability to build Boeing 757s too.

[chemainus]

Fleishmann probably doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground about spores and dispersal but he is almost right on this thing.... I don't see any need for a PhD.

[Cyber Liberty]

Dang! Ease up a little on your punctuation and caps...I can hear you banging the snot out of that keyboard from all the way over here!

[chemainus]

Then try listening.

[Brett66]

My gut feeling is that what is happening now is a field trial.
The real one will be a massive distribution with mutated anthrax.

Very ominous, I hope your not right but you probably are. I just hope they don't unleash something like an airborn ebola virus. Something like that could kill 100's of millions including a huge number in the mid-east. I'm sure that wouldn't matter to them though.If that happens we truly are on the edge of apocalypse.

[Jaded]

I think Al Qaeda, has proven that they are not cave-dwelling imbeciles, as much as we'd like to think. For such a well funded group, ANYTHING can be had for a nominal fee. It never pays to underestimate your adversaries. Or is this more disinformation for the immigrant population to e-mail home?

[Cyber Liberty]

Huh?

[Jaded]

Just the parent group of most of these cells.

[chemainus]

(-: Cheers friend ( no exclamation point )

[Cyber Liberty]

Heh, heh, heh...

Cheers!

[thusevertotyrants]

We all keep asking the same question, namely , did the anthrax come from Iraq. Has anyone considered the simple solution. Mail it to Saddam with a note "Excuse me, but is this yours?"

[WyldKard]

"Unless they bought it from Iraq or something,

Geeze! Thats what we've been saying this whole time!