US assures UN Security Council that Powell did not wave live anthrax

Agence France-Presse | February 5, 2003

[HAL9000]

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 5 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell did not wave an actual vial of the deadly anthrax bacteria during his UN Security Council presentation on Iraq's banned weapons programs on Wednesday, a senior State Department official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made it a point to open comments to reporters with news that the vial had contained a white silicon compound intended to simulate anthrax.

"It was not real anthrax," the official said. "We didn't bring anthrax into the council chambers."

The substance was provided to Powell by "our friends at Langley," the official said, referring to the Virginia town where the Central Intelligence Agency has its headquarters.

Earlier, speaking to the Security Council about the dangers of Iraq's biological weapons program, Powell displayed a small vial to demonstrate the havoc that even a small amount of the bacteria could create.

"Less than a teaspoonful of dry anthrax in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001," Powell said, holding up the vial, which he said contained "just about the amount of a teaspoon."

"This forced several hundred people to undergo emergency medical treatment and killed two postal workers just from an amount just about this quantity that was inside of an envelope," he said.

[Post Toasties]

If that is what the UN Security Council is concerned about instead of what should be done about Iraq's violations of UN Resolution 1441, they're clearly not being serious about the matter that they are supposed to be considering.

That in itself is an argument not to be believe there is any particular necessity for further UNSC approval regarding prospective Allied action in Iraq.

[Timesink]

Oh. My. God.

Just when I thought the UNics couldn't get ANY stupider.

[Timesink]

Ya know, it would have been kinda funny if Powell had filled that vial full of sugar and then gulped it down at the table before standing up and screaming at Captain Combover, "BRING IT ON, MOFO!!!"

....Well, I'd have found it amusing....

[Mo1]

Hmmm .. if they were afraid of a teaspoon of the fake stuff .. one would think they would be scared ****less of the tons of real stuff Saddam has

[Mo1]

LOL ... sounds like a SNL skit

[lorrainer]

"We wish to assure our audience that no liberals were harmed in the production of this presentation."

[VaBthang4]

Buncha girlymen.

[rbmillerjr]

We the Security Council of the UN, do not think Iraq poses a danger.

"Did you bring live anthrax in here(wide-eyed)

[kayak]

.... there simply are no words ........

[ImphClinton]

I believe the Anthrax Attack was Iraq's doing. Most likely they provided some to Osama Bin Laden.

[unending thunder]

Presumably the US delegation are suitable inoculated and protected.

If the nasty substance did infect and see off the upper echelons of the UN, would anybody care ? Would anybody notice?

What worried me was the avid concentration of the guys behind Powell listening to their translation earphones. Do they have trouble understanding the Sec of State ?

Something worse is going to hit your screens soon, Michael "I love children" Jackson, far more frightening than Colin waving his phial of nose candy.

[Boot Hill]

Agence France-Presse reports:   "The official, speaking on condition of anonymity..."

Yup, if I worked for the UN, I wouldn't want anybody to know that I was that stupid, either!

Agence France-Presse reports:   "...the vial had contained a white silicon compound..."

KY Jelly. It was a gift for the French Ambassador.

Agence France-Presse reports:   "'It was not real anthrax,' the official said."

In the middle of Powell's speech he should've "accidentally" dropped the vial on the floor in front of him. Then getting real quiet, he looks down at the spilled white powder and in a barely audible voice whispers: "Oops"!

OK, so I not cut out for the diplomatic corps, so what!

--Boot Hill

[Miss Marple]

Hahaha! I needed something to make me laugh this morning!

Your icon is the perfect comment.

[Boot Hill]

One last note about the above article.

Notice how, by having a UN official appearing to have to "reassure" people that the vial Powell displayed, did not contain real anthrax, he was promoting the stereotype of the crazy out-of-control, cowboy American?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love that image. I want the rest of the world to think we're crazy, especially those damn sand Nazis. Every last one of us. Quick, somebody send Bush some more cowboy hats and cowboy boots (hopefully made from an endangered species).

--Boot Hill

[metesky]

Mon Dieu! Now we must change ze pantaloons!

[JohnHuang2]

The beauty of what is happening is how utterly/completely discredited the U.N. will end up in the end.

[billorites]

I believe it was Gold Bond Powder.

Makes Sec. Powell feel all fresh and "tingly."

[apillar]

HA HA !!

Could you have seen how fast those UN types would have moved Mr. Powell would have said during his speech, "This is a vial of anthrax...Whoops!" and then it slipped out of his hand and busted on the floor.