Posted on 07/28/2008 8:37:15 AM PDT by DAVEY CROCKETT
Is U.S. Bioterror Attack Just A Matter of Time?
The overriding question is whether the U.S. is “ready” for a bioterror attack. The answer could well rely on the “other” question of what bio-agent and what’s the source? In 1991, 40,000 Russian scientists dispersed throughout the World, with knowledge of what the U.S.S.R. was doing in chemical and biological weapons. The question is to whom did they sell their knowledge? Some believe former Soviet scientists sold technology to countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Lurking is the spectre of al-Qaeda, a group that the Pentagon says continues to pursue biological weapons.
Another scenario is an outbreak of a pandemic. How would the U.S. deal with an infectious disease outbreak? The picture, despite reassurances, is not pretty. Until now, the U.S. has experienced two major biological attacks.
In 1984, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers attempted to take over the town of the Dalles, Oregon by contaminating salad bars in the town. In 2001, there was the as yet unsolved mystery of the anthrax letters that killed five people.
But the question of bioterrorism extends to potential threats against our food supply and our clean water resources. It also extends to the threat of outbreaks of diseases in our animals populations. Here, the concern are diseases that attack animals but that can jump to humans. These are referred to as zoonotic diseases. The World Health Organization defines zonnotic diseases as:
Read More
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080729/tap-as-china-bus-incident-bb10fb8.html
Chinese media report possible bus explosion in city on high alert over recently bombings
AP
AP - Tuesday, July 29
BEIJING - Chinese state media reported a possible explosion aboard a public bus Monday night in a southwestern city that is already on high alert over recent deadly bus bombings.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported, although police sealed off the area and were conducting an investigation, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing local media reports.
Xinhua called the incident aboard the route K2 bus an “unexplained mishap,” citing local media reports in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. It said the incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. (1230 GMT).
continued.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/28/world/main4300573.shtml
Bride Killed, Groom Wounded In Antigua
British Honeymoon Couple Attacked In Apparent Robbery At Beach Hotel
Comments Comments19
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 28, 2008
Send this story via emailE-Mail Story
Funeral home employees carry the body of slain newlywed British citizen Catherine Bowen from her vacation bungalow in Valley Church Bay, on the Caribbean island of Antigua, Sunday, July 27, 2008. (AP)
(AP) A British doctor was killed and her newlywed husband critically wounded in an apparent robbery at a beach hotel in Antigua, officials in the Caribbean island said Monday.
continued............this is the tenth death this year.
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080729/twl-oukwd-uk-qaeda-interfaith-saudi-13abf6c.html
Qaeda wants Saudi king killed over interfaith call
Reuters
Reuters - 2 hours 57 minutes ago
DUBAI - A key al Qaeda figure has said Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah should be killed for calling for an interfaith dialogue that amounted to joining a Western crusade against Islam.
“Hurrying to kill this wanton tyrant who has announced himself to be a leader of atheism would be among the most pious acts,” Abu Yahya al-Libi said in a video posted on Monday on Islamist websites often used by al Qaeda supporters.
The message followed a groundbreaking Saudi-sponsored interfaith conference in Spain this month in which King Abdullah called on followers of the world’s major faiths to turn away from extremism and seek reconciliation.
continued.
News Stories for plane returned to airport
(Results 1 - 10 of about 1,100)
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* 1.
Loud Pop Sends Delta Plane Back To Atlanta Airport Open this result in new window
FOX 24 Macon - Jul 28 6:58 AM
ATLANTA (AP) - A Delta jet headed from Atlanta to Lima, Peru, returned to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after the flight crew heard a loud pop.
* 2.
Qantas 737 Returns When Wheel Doors Won’t Shut, Herald Sun Says Open this result in new window
Bloomberg.com - Jul 28 10:34 AM
July 28 (Bloomberg) — A Boeing 737-800 plane flown by Qantas Airways Ltd. returned to Adelaide Airport after the doors covering a wheel bay wouldn’t close following takeoff, the Herald Sun newspaper said, citing unidentified airline employees.
* 3.
Loud Pop Sends Delta Plane Back To Atlanta Open this result in new window
CBS 46 News Atlanta - Jul 28 4:02 AM
A loud pop onboard a Peru-bound Delta plane forces pilots to return to Atlanta.
* 4.
Cockpit Fire Causes Emergency Landing at BWI Open this result in new window
FOX 5 Washington D.C. - Jul 27 12:55 PM
A spokeswoman for Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport said a Southwest Airlines flight returned to the airport shortly after taking off Sunday because of a cockpit fire. BWI spokeswoman Cheryl Stewart said the plane landed without incident and no one was injured.
* 5.
Southwest Flight Returns To Airport Due To Cockpit Smoke Open this result in new window
WBAL-TV Baltimore - Jul 28 4:53 AM
A Southwest Airlines spokeswoman said smoke from a faulty cockpit fan and not a fire prompted a flight to return to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport shortly after takeoff Sunday.
* 6.
Delta flight delayed 7 hours on tarmac, then canceled Open this result in new window
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Jul 28 7:41 AM
Passengers of a Las Vegas-bound Delta Air Lines flight will get refunds after their plane was delayed on a New York airport tarmac for more than seven hours — before the flight was canceled. [ Post your comments below. ] Delta spokesman Kent Landers told the New York Daily News in Monday editions that thunderstorms delayed flights on all airlines.
* 7.
D.C.-Bound Flight Returns To Bahamas Open this result in new window
NBC4 Washington, D.C. - 2 hours, 7 minutes ago
A U.S. Airways representative said a flight from the Bahamas to Ronald Reagan National Airport returned to Nassau because of a maintenance issue.
* 8.
NYC-to-Vegas Delta flight delayed 7 hours Open this result in new window
Asbury Park Press - Jul 28 8:19 AM
Passengers of a Las Vegas-bound Delta Airlines flight will get refunds after their plane was delayed on a New York airport tarmac for more than seven hours — before the flight was canceled.
* 9.
Passengers Get Refunds After 7 Hours on Tarmac Open this result in new window
WCBS 880 New York - Jul 28 6:37 AM
Passengers of a Las Vegas-bound Delta Airlines flight will get refunds after their plane was delayed on a New York airport tarmac for more than seven hours - before the flight was canceled. READ MORE >>
* 10.
Plane carrying Pawar makes emergency landing Open this result in new window
IE via Yahoo! India News - Jul 25 9:33 PM
A major air accident was averted when a Jet Airways flight with Union Minister Sharad Pawar on board returned to Delhi airport safely after it was found that a rear door was not locked properly.
News Stories for radioactive leak
(Results 1 - 10 of about 206)
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2 News Photos
* 1.
Nuclear leak pollutes water Open this result in new window
The Star - Jul 28 5:38 AM
A NUCLEAR power plant in a tourist region of southern France has been closed after a uranium leak polluted the local water supply.
* 2.
French workers in radioactive leak Open this result in new window
Channel 4 - Jul 23 2:44 PM
French electric company EDF said 100 employees have been “slightly contaminated” by a leak at a reactor site in southern France. It is the third incident at a French nuclear site in recent weeks and the second at the huge Tricastin site.
* 3.
Will French Leaks Harm Nuclear’s Revival? Open this result in new window
BusinessWeek - Jul 28 12:38 PM
A spate of problems at French nuclear facilities stir long-simmering fears and cast a pall over global nuclear giant Areva
* 4.
100 contaminated in France nuclear leak Open this result in new window
Denver Post - Jul 23 11:56 PM
Radioactive particles spewed from a pipe at a French nuclear reactor in Tricastin on Wednesday, slightly contaminating 100 employees, a spokeswoman for the national electric company said. It was the fourth incident at a French nuclear site in recent weeks and the second in five days.
* 5.
Nuke leak ‘slightly’ contaminates 100 Open this result in new window
MSNBC - Jul 23 4:20 PM
The French electric company EDF says that 100 employees have been “slightly contaminated” by a leak at a reactor site in southern France.
* 6.
French wine majors mull label change Open this result in new window
The Hindu - Jul 26 4:46 AM
LONDON: Battling for reputation, French wine producers have mooted label change after a power plant with the same name was involved in a radiation leak.
* 7.
French workers contaminated by nuclear leak Open this result in new window
The New Zealand Herald - Jul 23 4:53 PM
PARIS - The French electric company EDF says that 100 employees have been “slightly contaminated” by a leak at a reactor site in southern France. It was the third incident at a French nuclear site in recent weeks and the second at the huge Tricastin site.
* 8.
(AFX UK Focus) 2008-07-24 06:14 Pipe leak at French nuclear site contaminates 100 employees ‘slightly’ Open this result in new window
Interactive Investor - Jul 23 10:45 PM
PARIS (AP) - Radioactive particles spewed from a pipe at a French nuclear reactor on Wednesday, slightly contaminating 100 employees, a spokeswoman for Electricite de France said.
* 9.
Radioactive leak hits 15 at plant Open this result in new window
The Scotsman - Jul 21 4:25 PM
FIFTEEN workers were exposed to radioactive contamination while carrying out maintenance at the Saint-Alban nuclear plant in the Isere region of the French Alps, Electricite d
* 10.
New radioactive leak at French plant Open this result in new window
Deutsche Welle - Jul 19 12:25 AM
The French Nuclear Safety Authority says that a broken pipe at a nuclear fuel plant in south-east France had caused a radioactive leak but no damage to the environment.
# 2.
Reactor leak delaying production Open this result in new window
Narromine News - 42 minutes ago
SOPHISTICATED repairs to a water leak in Australia’s new $400 million nuclear research reactor have failed.
# 1.
Will French Leaks Harm Nuclear’s Revival? Open this result in new window
BusinessWeek - Jul 28 12:38 PM
A spate of problems at French nuclear facilities stir long-simmering fears and cast a pall over global nuclear giant Areva
# 2.
Report: Russia May Send Nukes To Cuba Open this result in new window
CBS News - Jul 24 6:00 AM
An ailing Fidel Castro neither confirmed nor denied reports that Russia is prepared to station nuclear bombers in Cuba. Moscow is angry about U.S. plans to build missile defense sites in Eastern Europe.
# 3.
Report: Russia May Send Nukes To Cuba Open this result in new window
WCCO Minneapolis - St. Paul - Jul 24 3:12 AM
Ailing Fidel Castro said Wednesday that Cuba’s president was right to adopt a “dignified silence” over a Moscow newspaper report that Russia may send nuclear bombers to the island, and said Cuba doesn’t owe any explanation to Washington about the story.
# 4.
Hodes Seeks More Information On Nuclear Plant Open this result in new window
WMUR New Hampshire - Jul 18 7:43 AM
U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., said he wants more information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about safety measures at Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
# 5.
World Journal Open this result in new window
Telegraph-Journal - Jul 24 2:05 AM
Read our complete story for the full contents of this article, available online.
# 6.
International environment summary Open this result in new window
Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News - Jul 23 4:40 PM
Ship collision shuts Mississippi River, spills fuel
# 7.
Panel opens review Vt. Yankee re-licensing request Open this result in new window
The Burlington Free Press - Jul 22 1:29 AM
A federal panel convened Monday to weigh an anti-nuclear group’s challenge to the re-licensing of Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
# 8.
Federal review panel opens hearing on Vt. Yankee Open this result in new window
Boston Globe - Jul 21 4:19 PM
A federal panel convened Monday to weigh an anti-nuclear group’s challenge to the re-licensing of Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, promising an independent review of three technical issues the group contends are serious enough to warrant rejection of the 20-year extension.
* 1.
Cuba hands Canadians their first loss at World Junior Baseball Championship Open this result in new window
Canadian Press via Yahoo! News - Jul 27 8:20 PM
EDMONTON - Canada’s junior team had Cuba on the ropes the entire game, but ultimately they could not hold on. The Cubans handed Canada their first loss, a 4-3 decision, at the World Junior Baseball Championship on Sunday.
* 2.
Sechin to Visit Cuba for Energy Talks Open this result in new window
The Moscow Times - 2 hours, 18 minutes ago
29 July 2008 Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin plans to travel to Cuba this week for talks on joint energy projects, Interfax reported Monday, citing an unidentified Russian government official.
* 3.
Cuba school officials meet, discuss personnel matters Open this result in new window
The Canton Daily Ledger - Jul 28 11:38 AM
CUBA — The board of education of Community Unit School District 3, Fulton County, met in a regular meeting on July 21 in the Unit Office. President Sue McCance called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
* 4.
Pilgrims honor Cuba’s protectress Open this result in new window
Seattle Times - Jul 28 2:17 AM
The most bizarre offering the Rev. Jorge Alejandro has witnessed at Cuba’s most cherished shrine came from the man who bent down and began...
* 5.
Zimbabwe: Karimanzira Hails Cuba Open this result in new window
AllAfrica.com - Jul 28 7:39 AM
ZIMBABWE continues to be encouraged and strengthened by the stance taken by Cuba and other revolutionary countries like China and Russia who stood by it against Western machinations to reverse the country’s sovereignty and self-determination, a senior Government official has said.
* 6.
Christian Science Monitor publishes 4 stories on Cuba Open this result in new window
Miami Herald - Jul 28 7:51 AM
The Christian Science Monitor recently published a series of stories on Cuba’s disgruntled youth, women dissidents, blogger Yoani Sánchez and the independent library movement.To read the series, click on this headline.
* 7.
State to pursue rule for flights to Cuba Open this result in new window
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Jul 27 11:36 PM
Teresa Aral, a travel agent in South Florida, was greatly relieved after learning that she did not have to pay the state a quarter of a million dollars to keep booking trips to Cuba. For now, at least.
* 8.
Raul Castro fails to announce reforms in Cuba
Raul Castro fails to announce reforms in Cuba Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 26 11:16 PM
President Raul Castro warned Washington that Cuba would keep its defenses up no matter who wins November’s U.S. presidential election, but failed to announce any new changes to the communist system during a speech Saturday.
* 9.
Cuba Celebrates 55th Anniversary of Revolution Open this result in new window
WBKO Bowling Green - Jul 28 9:13 AM
Cuba remembered the past and looked to the future, marking the 55th anniversary of the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.
* 10.
No Reforms On Cuba’s Revolution Day Open this result in new window
CBS News - Jul 27 4:14 AM
President Raul Castro announced no new reforms during his Revolution Day address, but warned that Cuba would stay focused on defense regardless of who is elected U.S. president in November.
* 1.
Advice From a Deal-Maker in Russia Open this result in new window
New York Times - Jul 28 5:53 AM
BP ’s recent troubles in Russia may be causing deal-makers to think twice about investing in the country.
* 2.
Russia seeks to reassure NATO on security ideas Open this result in new window
The Star - Jul 28 12:48 PM
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia sought to reassure NATO on Monday that its ideas for a new collective security structure were not aimed at dismantling the alliance or other international bodies.
* 3.
Italy, Russia Set Up Group To Boost Energy Ties - Min Scajola Open this result in new window
Nasdaq - Jul 28 10:33 AM
ROME -(Dow Jones)- Italian Industry Minister Claudio Scajola said Monday the country has set up a ministerial work group with Russia aimed at cementing the countries’ energy-sector ties.
* 4.
McCain Rails at Russia Over TNK-BP Open this result in new window
The Moscow Times - 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
29 July 2008 U.S. Senator John McCain accused Russia of forcing out BP and said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was taking his country down an autocratic path.
* 5.
Russia Plans Version Of ‘The Office’ Open this result in new window
St. Petersburg Times - Jul 28 11:56 AM
MOSCOW — Slimy boss David Brent and his beleaguered staff are set to move to Russia after Channel One signed a deal with BBC Worldwide to make a local version of hit comedy-drama “The Office.”
* 6.
China, Russia To Increase Projects Open this result in new window
St. Petersburg Times - Jul 28 11:58 AM
BEIJING — China and Russia on Saturday agreed to strengthen a strategic partnership by expanding their cooperation in projects including oil trading, pipeline construction, explorations and nuclear power.
* 7.
Russia pitches alliance from Vladivostok to Vancouver Open this result in new window
Regina Leader-Post - Jul 28 1:44 PM
Russia is proposing a broad new security alliance, possibly including India and China, that would deal with problems such as terrorism and crime from Vladivostok, on Russia’s eastern border, to Vancouver, the International Herald Tribune reported Sunday.
* 8.
Russia Cuts 2008 Oil Production Forecast By At Least 3M Tons Open this result in new window
Nasdaq - Jul 28 7:33 AM
MOSCOW -(Dow Jones)- Russia’s Economy Ministry has revised down its forecast for this year’s oil output by at least 3 million metric tons, Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Klepach said Monday.
* 9.
Putin taking Russia down ‘very harmful’ path: McCain
Putin taking Russia down ‘very harmful’ path: McCain Open this result in new window
AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 27 11:32 AM
Russia has become an autocracy under Vladimir Putin and the Russian president-turned-prime minister has taken the country down a “very harmful” path, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Sunday.
* 10.
Russia Putin’s Mechel comments worry investors 28/07 20:56 CET Open this result in new window
Euronews - Jul 28 12:14 PM
Russian investors are bailing out of Mechel – one of Russia’s largest coal and steel firms – following comments from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
* 1.
Oil rises on Nigerian attack, Iran nuclear worries
Oil rises on Nigerian attack, Iran nuclear worries Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 2:10 PM
Oil prices rose Monday, approaching $125 a barrel after militants sabotaged two oil pipelines in Nigeria and Iran claimed that it had doubled the size of its nuclear program but signaled a willingness to work with the U.S.
* 2.
Oil up on Nigerian attack, Iran nuclear comments
Oil up on Nigerian attack, Iran nuclear comments Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 11:50 AM
Oil prices rose Monday, passing $124 a barrel after militants sabotaged oil pipelines in Nigeria and Iran claimed that it had doubled the size of its nuclear program but signaled a willingness to work with the U.S.
* 3.
White House skeptical over Iran’s stance
White House skeptical over Iran’s stance Open this result in new window
AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 11:26 AM
The United States remains skeptical about Iran’s willingness to compromise in negotiations over its nuclear program, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Monday.
* 4.
Iran seeks
Iran seeks “common ground” with West: Ahmadinejad Open this result in new window
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 8:25 AM
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that Iran will seek “common ground” with the United States and five other world powers that have proposed incentives for Tehran to freeze its nuclear enrichment program.
* 5.
Oil up slightly on Nigerian attack, Iran worries
Oil up slightly on Nigerian attack, Iran worries Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 10:26 AM
Oil prices inched higher Monday, hovering just below $124 a barrel after militants sabotaged oil pipelines in Nigeria and Iran claimed that it had doubled the size of its nuclear program.
* 6.
29 convicts executed in Iran Open this result in new window
CNN.com - Jul 28 9:27 AM
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state television’s Web site says 29 people convicted of murder, drug trafficking and other criminal charges have been hanged in Tehran’s Evin prison.
* 7.
US waiting for ‘definitive statement’ from Iran
US waiting for ‘definitive statement’ from Iran Open this result in new window
AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 8:31 AM
The United States said Monday it was awaiting a “definitive statement” from Iran after the Islamic republic’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a moderate tone in comments to a US television network.
* 8.
Ebadi rights group protests Iran mass execution
Ebadi rights group protests Iran mass execution Open this result in new window
AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 4:18 AM
The rights group run by Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi on Monday protested at the hanging by Iran of 29 criminals in a mass execution and said it doubted the convicts had been given a fair trial.
* 9.
Oil rises on Iran nuclear concerns Open this result in new window
AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 28 3:33 AM
Oil prices rebounded Monday in Asia on comments by Iran’s president suggesting a significant increase in the country’s nuclear program, but worries about the faltering U.S. economy and crude demand continued to weigh on futures.
* 10.
Iran, Iraq to work toward cultural ties Open this result in new window
UPI - 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
TEHRAN, July 28 (UPI) — Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran to cooperate on cultural exchanges between the two countries.
# 1.
Uzbek Charged Of Smuggling WMD Material Into Iran Open this result in new window
Nasdaq - Jul 17 10:47 PM
(RTTNews) - The Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office charged Anar Godzhayev, a man from Uzbekistan, with trying to smuggle a metal that can be used in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) into Iran. The metal in question is tantalum, which can be used in nuclear reactors and missile parts.
# 2.
Russia charges man with attempting to smuggle potential WMD material to Iran Open this result in new window
Canadian Business - Jul 17 6:44 AM
MOSCOW (AP) - The founder of a Russian company involved in trade with Iran has been charged with trying to smuggle a metal that can be used for weapons of mass destruction or delivery systems to the Islamic republic, prosecutors said Thursday.
# 3.
Russia charges man with attempting to smuggle potential WMD material to Iran Open this result in new window
Times & Transcript - Jul 17 8:15 AM
A man from Uzbekistan has been charged in Russia with trying to smuggle a metal that can be used in weapons of mass destruction into Iran.
# 4.
Uzbek man accused of trying to smuggle WMD goods to Iran Open this result in new window
Russian Information Agency Novosti - Jul 17 5:58 AM
MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - A court in the Astrakhan Region, south Russia, will consider a criminal case against an Uzbek man accused of trying to smuggle items into Iran used in the production of weapons of mass destruction, Russian prosecutors said.
5th Circuit upholds prison terms for border agents
1 hour ago http://tinyurl.com/62ypzm
[Article written by someone, who thinks they should stay in jail, in my opinion of course....granny]
Nuclear Terrorism: Local Effects, Global Consequences
Saga Foundation
July 2008
http://www.sagafoundation.org/SagaFoundationWhitePaperSAGAMARK7282008.pdf
Introduction: High-grade Threat, Low-grade Concern
Nuclear terrorism represents the most serious existential threat to the
security of the United States and the world. Yet the issue has all but
disappeared from view. A number of reasons underlie the lack of discussion
of nuclear terrorism in the 2008 presidential campaign. It may be it has yet
to draw focused attention because of the absence of any further terror
attacks on the U.S. homeland since 9/11. It may be due to a belief in some
quarters that a nuclear act of terrorism is a remote possibility because of
the inherent difficulty of surreptitiously assembling or acquiring a nuclear
weapon. And it may be that since we agree it’s a serious problem, what is
there to argue about, the assumption being we must be doing everything
possible to prevent it. During the 2004 presidential campaign, both
President Bush and Senator John Kerry said that nuclear terrorism was the
leading threat to national security. Little has changed since, except that
the public’s focus has turned elsewhere. This lack of controversy is a
pronounced obstacle confronting those seeking to energize the issue. Just
about everyone agrees: an act of nuclear terror would be a terrible thing;
it would devastate the community attacked and psychologically terrorize the
rest of the nation. But there has been relatively little public and media
2
continued, a good cover all bases report....
Terrorism: Al-Qaeda video urges Saudi monarch’s killing for dialogue with
Pope
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2373661466
Rome, 28 July (AKI) - Al-Qaeda Number 3, Abu Yahya al-Libi has issued a new
video urging the killing of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah for his moves
towards inter-faith dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI.
“They want to spawn a new religion on the Arabian Peninsula and that is
bringing religions closer together,” al-Libi warns in the video message
posted to Islamist websites on Monday.
continued.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701973_pf.html
Va. Jails to Report Foreign Inmates
New Law Targets Illegal Immigrants
By Bill Brubaker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 28, 2008; A01
A year after Prince William County
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Prince+William+County?tid=i
nformline launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants, Virginia has
implemented a law that requires something similar for every jurisdiction in
the state. Jail officials are now required to notify federal authorities of
all foreign-born inmates regardless of their immigration status.
continued.
End of article:
However, the multibillion-dollar program has not been fully funded by
Congress, and even if it is, ICE still might not have enough money to detain
all of the illegal immigrants it identifies, Pendergraph said.
“You know something? We’re playing catch-up,” he said. “Five years ago,
immigration enforcement for state and local law enforcement [agencies]
wasn’t even on the radar scope. We didn’t get in this mess overnight. And
we’re not going to get out of it overnight.”
Several worth checking out here:
DATURA POISONING - USA (MARYLAND)
*********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.isid.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 16 Jul 2008
Source: The Gazette [edited]
http://www.gazette.net/stories/071608/gaitnew204310_32356.shtml
Officials: Weed turned potato stew into poison
The botanist who last week [7-11 Jul 2008] identified a plant near a
Gaithersburg family’s garden as a toxic weed, said the 6 people
admitted to the hospital after unknowingly eating it are “lucky” to be alive.
Jimsonweed was mixed into a homemade potato stew the 6 ate at a
family dinner on 8 Jul 2008, a Montgomery County health department
spokeswoman said. An elderly family member made the stew using plants
from the family herb garden. Of the 12 people who attended the
dinner, the 6 people who ate the stew got sick.
County fire and rescue officials initially reported that the sick may
have been poisoned by mint leaves tainted with pesticides.
That changed Thursday [10 Jul 2008] after 2 experts from the county’s
disease control program and a botanist went to the family’s townhome
in the Montgomery Meadows Townhouses on the 1000 block of Travis
Lane, off Watkins Mill Road, said Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman for
the county’s department of Health and Human Services. They found
recently cut jimsonweed near the garden, which surprised the
botanist, who said the plant is usually found on farmland and in
fields, Anderson said.
Then the experts went inside.
“In the trash can were not only potato peels but more clippings of
jimsonweed and they thought ‘A-ha!’” Anderson said.
Jimsonweed contains belladonna alkaloids atropine and scopolamine,
ingredients that may cause symptoms such as: mental confusion,
agitation, rapid heart rate, incoherent speech, impaired
coordination, dry, flushed or hot skin, visual or auditory
hallucinations or cardiac arrest, Anderson said.
Satnam Singh, a relative who lives next door, said his 18-year-old
son attended the dinner. The 6 who ate the stew began hallucinating
one half-hour after eating the stew, he said. “They were acting wild
and everything, like hallucinating, they didn’t know what they were
saying, what they were doing, talking all kind of nonsense,” Singh
said. “The ones who didn’t eat, like the kids, noticed.”
His son described his sick relatives, who ranged in age from 20 to 70
years old as behaving “like when you’re high on pot,” he said. He
noticed that “they were not breathing properly” and called a friend
to the home who called the ambulance, Singh said.
Family members returned home in 1 to 3 days, his wife Kamajit Kaur
said Tuesday [15 Jul 2008].
“Everyone is better, everybody is fine, everybody is perfect...” she
said. “No medications, no treatment — they said ‘Just take a rest,’
then go see the primary doctor and that’s it.”
The episode “potentially could have been fatal,” said Chuck Schuster,
the Maryland Cooperative Extension botanist who identified the plant.
“We’re really lucky.” Jimsonweed is a “typically a waste area weed,
not a garden weed,” Schuster said. It was not planted in the family
yard. The surrounding area where the plant was growing was “rough”
and unmowed. Birds or dirt from recent construction could have
brought the plant to the neighborhood, he said. Normal lawn care such
as mowing and use of weed killer typically stops the plant’s spread,
Schuster said.
The family affected has since removed all plants from the herb garden
“to be on the safe side,” Anderson said.
“We did not know it was even there,” Singh said Tuesday. Family
members “thought it was just like a spinach-type of a plant,
something like that.”
Anderson said that jimsonweed does not resemble mint. Instead, the
weed, also known as “Downy thornapple” and “Devil’s trumpet” can grow
to 5 feet tall and has “coarsely serrated” 3- to 8-inch leaves according to
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants , a Web site that contains the
Cornell University poisonous plants database. “You really have to be
careful,” she said. When it comes to eating homegrown herbs, “don’t
eat anything that you haven’t planted yourself and know exactly what it is.”
[Byline: Patricia M. Murrett]
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[Jimsonweed’s Latin name is _Datura_ spp. And there a number of
different species giving a slightly different shape to the leaves or
flowers. However, they all contain the same toxic agents, just in
slightly different proportions. A photo may be seen at:
http://www.wildflowersofontario.ca/jimsonweed1.jpg
or
http://www.1000wordsphotos.com/desertflowers/jimsonweed.html The
thorny fruit that contributes to its name may be viewed at:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/D/W-SO-DSTR-FR.001.html
The memory tool for Jimsonweed intoxication is “Red as a beet, dry as
a bone” (flushed, hot, red skin) and “mad as a hatter” (from Alice in
Wonderland, for its hallucinogenic properties.) The seeds have been
collected by addicts trying to get ‘high’ because of the
hallucinogenic properties. The article correctly states that it would
appear that intoxicated individuals can appear as if they have been
smoking marijuana. However, the cardiac affects have proven to be
fatal in many cases.
The texture of the leaves and stems would be far from that of spinach
or mint, so clearly this person did not know much about the herbs in
the garden, or it was done with the intent of “spiking” the stew
without knowledge of the plant’s deadly side effects. The plant has
an almost world wide distribution and is very adaptable to many
climates and habitats.
It is fortunate that this unfortunate event has had a relatively
happy outcome. It should be noted that pets can be come intoxicated
as well and this plant and its seed are much more dangerous to our
companion animals because of their relatively small size. - Mod.TG
To quote from the ProMED reference below:
“In Bangladesh, there is a tendency [to use] powder of Datura
(_Datura_ spp, most probably _D. fastuosa_) or some species of
Oleander seed in food items, drink or cigarettes by miscreants and
offering [th m] to [unsuspecting] people. Because of the action of
Datura or Oleander seed, people become unconscious and then [the
criminals] grab their valuable items. Datura or Oleander seed contain
alkaloids which are [potent] toxins for humans and higher doses may be
fatal.”
Photo of Jimsonweed:
http://www.delange.org/Jimson/Dsc00036.jpg
- Mod.JW]
[see also:
1999
Food poisoning, criminal - Bangladesh (02) 19990804.1333
....................tg/ejp/jw
[Almost 20 years ago, the local high school kids were drinking a tea made with Datura to get high, and about 5 of them died on one day.....after their lunch break and drinking the tea....granny]
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=33083
Obama Urged to Condemn ‘Imagine No Religion’ Billboard
Monday, July 28, 2008
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer
Al-Qaeda chemical expert ‘killed’
Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar. Pic: Rewards for Justice web site
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44870000/jpg/_44870097_masri.jpg
Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar has been reported killed before
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7529419.stm
Reports from Pakistan say a leading al-Qaeda chemical weapons expert,
Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, has been killed in a missile strike.
Taleban officials in the tribal area of South Waziristan confirmed to the
BBC that he was killed in a missile strike that left at least six people
dead.
The US, which has a reward of $5m on his head, said it had no information.
He was wrongly reported to have been killed in 2006 in a strike aimed at
al-Qaeda deputy head Ayman al-Zawahiri.
continued.
Pakistan: ‘Al-Qaeda’ woman in Afghan prison, claims activist
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2372718194
Karachi, 28 July (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Before she reached the age
of 30, Aafia Siddiqui achieved more than most Pakistani women could ever
imagine.
Siddiqui, born in 1972, obtained a biology degree in the United States and
later a doctorate in neurological science. She was married with three
children and led a comfortable life.
But she disappeared in 2003 after returning to Pakistan and then added to
the list of most dangerous al-Qaeda suspects compiled by the US Federal
Bureau of Investigation in 2004.
While the FBI is still “seeking information” about Siddiqui’s whereabouts,
others claim she is the only female prisoner, ‘Prisoner 650’, being held at
the US detention centre at Bagram, 60 kilometres from Kabul.
continued....conspiracy? or more out right lies?
http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=8650
National Guard Teams Prepare for Terrorist WMD Attacks
Jim Kouri
July 27, 2008
In 2006, Denys Ray Hughes, 59, of Phoenix, AZ, was found guilty of Attempted
Production of a Biological Toxin for Use as a Weapon, Possession of an
Unregistered Destructive Device and Possession of an Unregistered Silencer,
by a federal jury.
The evidence at his trial showed that Hughes grew castor bean plants and
cultivated thousands of their seeds, which contain the toxin called ricin.
Hughes further possessed the necessary precursor materials, as well as
written instructions for extracting the toxin.
The government also proved at trial that Hughes possessed a destructive
device, specifically, a pipe bomb, and multiple silencers.
Hughes’ conviction for Attempted Production of a Biological Toxin for Use as
a Weapon carried a penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
To prepare for potential attacks in the United States involving weapons of
mass destruction, the US Congress approved the development of National
Guard’s Civil Support Teams which are responsible with identifying chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive weapons;
assessing consequences; advising civil authorities on response measures; and
assisting with requests for additional support.
So far, 36 of the 55 approved teams have been fully certified to conduct
their mission. The National Guard Bureau is in the process of establishing,
certifying, and planning for the long-term sustainment of the CSTs,
according to an unclassified report submitted to the National Association of
Chiefs of Police by the GAO.
continued.
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