Italy Arrests Four Moroccans with Maps, Cyanide

abc ^ | 2/19/02

[knak]

ROME (Reuters) - Italian police arrested four Moroccans on Tuesday in possession of large quantities of cyanide and maps of Rome highlighting the location of the U.S. embassy, ANSA news agency reported early on Wednesday.

ANSA quoted police sources as saying the Moroccans, aged 30 to 40, also had maps of Rome's water system.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

At least two of the men arrested had been followed after three other Moroccans were arrested last week, ANSA said.

[Wm Bach]

They DO make damn fine motorcycles though.

Please change your last name to Pasta. :^)

I just want to know how they were able to profile Moroccans, I mean, genetically aren't they kissing cousins to Sicilians? How did they differentiate? What was it? Were they wearing non-stylish clothes? Non tight shoes? Beards? What gave them away?

[mikhailovich]

The more of this countries finding terrorists within their border, the closer they become to join our fight against terrorism. Pardon the grammar.

[mikhailovich]

Awesome post. Funny as heck, and simultaneously right on the money!

[Travis McGee]

They would not attempt to affect an entire city's water supply, it's much easier and more effective to pump poison BACK into a system, with very cruel local effects.

Look for a pipe break which causes the pressure to be turned off temporarily. The terrorists then pump their poison back into the system through a house. This poison moves through a few neighborhoods (or a building) at lethally high concentrations.

[Travis McGee]

See number 44 for how to do it.

[finnman69]

'Cyanide attack' foiled in Italy

Wednesday, 20 February, 2002, 11:47 GMT
'Cyanide attack' foiled in Italy

Italian police say they have arrested four Moroccans who were planning a chemical attack in Rome, targeting buildings which included the United States embassy. The four men, aged between 30 and 40, were detained in a dawn raid on a flat in the Tor Bella Monaca area in the south of the Italian capital.

They were discovered to be in possession of a powdered cyanide-based substance, maps marking the capital's water supply network, as well as a hoard of false documentation, officials said.

It is suspected that they were intending to poison the water supplies in a commercial area of the capital where the US embassy is located.

An embassy spokesman said there would be an official statement on the issue later in the day.

[Demidog]

I suspect that carnivor and other communications monitoring programs are working overtime right now monitoring communications all over the world.

Including yours. But don't worry. George Bush will be president forever. There will never be a bad president elected ever again.

[junta]

Well I was going to comment about the paranoia these guys are affecting just by being unsuccesful, but then I seen your comment. Whatever you are taking please for your own sake stop.

[P-Marlowe]

Yeah, but who actually drinks the water? In my house it would only kill the bacteria on my skin and my lawn.

[P-Marlowe]

It is suspected that they were intending to poison the water supplies in a commercial area of the capital where the US embassy is located.

Does anyone here think that anyone at the US Embassy in any foreign country actually drinks tap water? Not a chance.

[bloodmeridian]

were they going to poison the whole city trying to kill the Pope maybe??

They need a hell of a lot of cyanide to do this, an amount far greater than anyone would be able to carry.

[monday]

"My guess is that these terrorists, like most terrorists, are just plain stupid. They did get caught, didn't they?"

I agree, they are possibly the stupidest people on earth. Unfortunately, even these losers get lucky occasionally. 9-11

[kassie]

My gosh, they're coming out of the woodwork today.

[Rebelbase]

I worked with guy who ran a gold mill somewhere in Mexico back in the 60's. He used a cyanide solution to separate the gold from the ore.

There was a leak in the separator that caused the some of the solution to run into a small creek nearby, it went unchecked for a several days.

The leak was discovered when the odor of rotting animals brought to his attention all the dead birds, rabbits, coyotes, etc. littering the creek bank.

[Demidog]

It's called sarcasm. Just remember though, having the FBI listen to every email communication you send is GOOD. It's patriotic to enjoy having your privacy violated without a warrant.

[vannrox]

Cyanide

Introduction

Cyanide is a substance that is found in combination with other chemicals in the environment. Of these combinations (compounds), the ones people are most likely to come in contact with are hydrogen cyanide, sodium cyanide, and potassium cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless gas or liquid with a faint, bitter almond odor. Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are both colorless solids that have a slight odor of bitter almonds in damp air.


Cyanides are both man-made and naturally occurring substances. They are found in a number of foods and plants and are produced by certain bacteria, fungi, and algae. Very small amounts of cyanide, in the form of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), are a necessary part of the human diet. Most of the cyanide found in the environment comes from industrial processes. Hydrogen cyanide is used mainly in the production of organic chemicals. Cyanide salts are used primarily in electroplating and metal treatment. Cyanide gained public attention when it was found to have caused the deaths of seven people who swallowed capsules contaminated with it.


Exposure Pathways


Humans can be exposed to cyanide from environmental, occupational, and consumer product sources. The single largest source of cyanide in air is from vehicle exhaust. Other sources of release to the air may include emissions from chemical processing industries, steel and iron industries, metallurgical industries, metal plating and finishing industries, and petroleum refineries. Cyanides may also be released from public waste incinerators, from waste disposed of in landfills, and during the use of cyanide-containing pesticides. When certain types of plastics, silk, wool, and paper are burned, cyanides are released. People who smoke tobacco take in larger amounts of cyanide than nonsmokers.


The major sources of cyanide release to water are discharges from publicly owned wastewater treatment works, iron and steel production plants, and organic chemical industries. Much smaller amounts of cyanide may enter water through storm-water runoff in locations where cyanide-containing road salts are used. Groundwater can be contaminated by the movement of cyanide through soil from landfills. The largest sources of cyanide releases to soil are probably from the disposal of cyanide wastes in landfills and the use of cyanide-containing road salts.


Cyanide has been found in at least 134 of the 1177 sites on the National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites in the United States.


Workers may be exposed to cyanides in a wide variety of occupations including electroplating; metallurgy; metal cleaning; pesticide application; firefighting; steel manufacturing; gas works operations; manufacture of cyanides and some dyes, some pharmaceuticals, and some chelating agents; tannery work; blacksmithing; photoengraving; and photography.


Cyanide also occurs naturally in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains. In the United States, only low levels of cyanide are taken in from eating food because foods with high cyanide levels are not a major part of the American diet.


Metabolism


Cyanide can enter the body when a person breathes air containing hydrogen cyanide vapor or dust containing cyanide compounds. This may be a common pathway of exposure for individuals who work with the chemical, and for those who smoke. It is probably also a common exposure pathway for those who live near industrial and commercial areas where large amounts of the compound are used or disposed of in waste sites. Cyanide can also enter the body when a person eats food or drinks water containing it. If cyanide is present at a waste site, it may get into underground water as it passes downward through the soil. It is not common for persons to be exposed to cyanide through skin contact, although it can enter the body this way. Skin exposure usually happens only in the workplace.


Health Effects


Cyanide in the form of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is needed as part of a healthy diet to prevent iron poor blood, or anemia.


The effects of cyanide may vary from person to person depending upon things such as health, family traits, age, and sex. Exposure to high levels of cyanide for a short period harms the central nervous system, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system. Short-term exposure to high levels of cyanide can cause coma and/or death. Brief exposures to lower levels result in rapid, deep breathing; shortness of breath; convulsions; and loss of consciousness. These short-term effects go away with time because cyanide does not stay in the body. In some cases, quick medical treatment can revive a person who has been poisoned by cyanide.


Skin contact with dust from certain cyanide compounds can cause skin irritation and ulcerations.


People have developed damage to the nervous system and thyroid gland after eating food containing low levels of cyanide for a long time (months to years). Effects on the nervous system believed to be from long-term exposure to cyanide include deafness, vision problems, and loss of muscle coordination. Effects on the thyroid gland can cause cretinism (retarded physical and mental growth in children), or enlargement and overactivity of the gland. These effects have been seen in people who eat large amounts of cassava, a cyanide-containing vegetable, and who don't have enough iodine and other necessary nutrients in their diet. These effects have not been seen at levels of cyanide exposure usually found in foods in the United States.


Some animal data show that cyanide may cause harm to the unborn offspring, but the studies are not complete enough to measure this effect. No evidence exists to tell if cyanide causes cancer.


Inhalation exposure to cyanide causes rapid effects. Exposure of humans at a level of 110 ppm can cause death within 30 minutes to 1 hour. At a level of about 18 ppm, persons may have headaches, weakness, and nausea (after several hours of exposure). Hydrogen cyanide vapor has a smell of bitter almonds that some individuals can first smell at about 0.6 ppm. This smell will not alert everyone to the fact that hydrogen cyanide is in the air, because not all persons can smell hydrogen cyanide. Deaths in animals have been reported at exposure levels ranging from 20 ppm for 4.5 hours to 503 ppm for 5 minutes. Heart effects in rats have been reported following exposure at 200 ppm for 12.5 minutes.


Little long-term exposure information is available. In humans exposed to cyanides in the workplace, effects on the thyroid gland and other health problems (breathing difficulty, headache, throat irritation, weakness, changes in taste and smell, abdominal pain, vomiting, and nervous instability) have been reported at levels of 6.4 to 10.3 ppm. Nervous system effects have been seen in dogs exposed to hydrogen cyanide at 45 ppm for 30 minutes a day for up to 22 weeks.


Short-term exposures resulting from suicides and suicide attempts have been reported. The lowest amount eaten causing death was 0.56 mg/kg/day. There is no information showing that long-term exposure to cyanides in food or water causes health effects in humans. Harm to the nervous system and developing offspring has been seen in animals fed cyanides. A single dose of 3.4 mg/kg has caused death in animals. Rats died when a cyanide compound was placed directly into their stomachs daily for 90 days. A comparison of short-term and long-term animal studies shows that a single dose given all at one time can cause death, while higher levels of cyanides given in food over a longer time do not cause death. The reason for this may be that cyanides enter the body more slowly when given in food.


Regulations


The government has made recommendations to limit the exposure of the general public to cyanide in food and the exposure of workers to cyanide in the workplace. Hydrogen cyanide is sometimes used to treat food after it is harvested to prevent pest damage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows levels of cyanide in food ranging from 25 ppm in dried beans, peas, and nuts to 250 ppm in spices.


Cyanide levels in the workplace are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has a legally enforceable exposure limit of 5 milligrams of cyanide per cubic centimeter of air (mg/cm3) for cyanide and 11 mg/cm3 (or 10 ppm) hydrogen cyanide in air for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that employee exposure to hydrogen cyanide and cyanide salts should not be more than 5 mg/m3 in air for a 10-minute sampling period.


Information excerpted from Toxicological Profile for Cyanide December 1989 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry United States Public Health Service

[ganesha]

Cyanide poisoning would be bad if you were caught unprepared and received a concentrated dose, but if you knew there was a danger of cyanide couldn't you just remove it with a charcoal or carbon filter?

[dennisw]

That's one great MO. My prediction is America would lash out abroad if say 1,000 people are poisoned and killed this way. Being poisoned is a lot more creepy than being killed in an explosion. Poisoning means they can do it all again tomorrow.

[TheHeterodoxConservative]

"heart of a lion and the ear of a large number of people."

Interesting mixed metaphor. I like it.

[Artie_Kay]

I sure hope that the American people are not falling asleep on the threat of real, deadly terrorist actions. But, I fear that many are.

Our nightmare of waking up to something much worse than 9/11 is real.

Cyanide.....Water Supply...... It's for real folks. These people mean to kill us!

Don't let our government representatives fall asleep at the wheel.