By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - All four services met or surpassed their monthly active-duty recruiting goals for December, and five of the six reserve components showing similar success, Defense Department officials announced today. The Army recruited 789 active-duty soldiers last month, 105 percent of its December goal. On the reserve-component side, the Army National Guard recruited 4,985 members, 120 percent of its goal, and the Army Reserve, 3,280 soldiers, 107 percent of its goal.
The Marine Corps recruited 1,992 active-duty Marines, 115 percent of its goal, and met its goal of recruiting 410 Marine Corps reservists.
The Air Force met its December goal of recruiting 1,772 active-duty airmen and 561 Air Force Reserve members. The Air National Guard achieved 96 percent of its goal, recruiting 624 members.
The Navy met its goals of recruiting 1,891 active-duty sailors and 682 Navy reservists.
Army Secretary Pete Geren conceded today that the Army has faced a "tough recruiting market for awhile," but said he's confident the Army will continue to meet its recruiting goals. He noted that last year alone, the Army recruited 175,000 people -- the size of the entire Marine Corps -- into its active force and the National Guard and Army Reserve.
"This will be a tough year; last year was a tough year," he said. "We are confident we will meet our goals this year, but I am also confident it won't come without a lot of work by a lot of folks."
Army Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, expressed even more confidence today in the Guard's ability to maintain the current momentum. "I'm on record right now that all I've got to do is get out of bed every morning and have a cup of coffee, and we are going to be over strength this year," he said. "That's the kind of machine that's running right now, and it has a lot to do with pride in the force."
Ultimately, the Army's recruiting successes boil down to Americans' willingness to serve, Geren said. "At the end of the day, what makes the difference is there are young men and women out there that, despite the challenges, are willing to step up and join the Army," he said.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
U.S., U.K. Monitor Possible Untested Blood Recipients
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - U.S. and British officials are monitoring less than 20 British soldiers who may have received U.S. blood or blood products since 2001 that did not meet U.S. testing standards. "The United Kingdom service personnel who received the U.S. blood or blood products were in emergency medical situations on military operations," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "Under the circumstances, an emergency blood transfusion was the only way of saving the lives of gravely wounded U.K. personnel."
In some combat operations, fresh whole blood and platelets were collected and transfused in the field to meet demands of multiple, severe trauma cases, he said. Those blood products were not tested in the field by U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards due to the need for rapid, life-saving transfusions.
"In a few cases, emergency blood collections are used to save lives in battlefield hospitals when platelets or fresh whole blood is required to stop massive hemorrhage," Whitman said. "These short-shelf-life blood components must come from donations collected as close as possible to the point of need and are as safe as possible within the time available.
"For the trauma surgeons, it is a matter of risk versus benefit," he said.
Most patients in U.S. forward-deployed military hospitals receive blood collected elsewhere in U.S. Food and Drug Administration-licensed blood donor centers where blood is screened and tested accordingly. That blood is then shipped overseas.
"U.S. blood is as safe as possible in emergency situations," Whitman said. "The U.K and U.S. cooperate closely in developing world-class, lifesaving combat medical care
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - U.S. and British officials are monitoring less than 20 British soldiers who may have received U.S. blood or blood products since 2001 that did not meet U.S. testing standards. "The United Kingdom service personnel who received the U.S. blood or blood products were in emergency medical situations on military operations," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "Under the circumstances, an emergency blood transfusion was the only way of saving the lives of gravely wounded U.K. personnel."
In some combat operations, fresh whole blood and platelets were collected and transfused in the field to meet demands of multiple, severe trauma cases, he said. Those blood products were not tested in the field by U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards due to the need for rapid, life-saving transfusions.
"In a few cases, emergency blood collections are used to save lives in battlefield hospitals when platelets or fresh whole blood is required to stop massive hemorrhage," Whitman said. "These short-shelf-life blood components must come from donations collected as close as possible to the point of need and are as safe as possible within the time available.
"For the trauma surgeons, it is a matter of risk versus benefit," he said.
Most patients in U.S. forward-deployed military hospitals receive blood collected elsewhere in U.S. Food and Drug Administration-licensed blood donor centers where blood is screened and tested accordingly. That blood is then shipped overseas.
"U.S. blood is as safe as possible in emergency situations," Whitman said. "The U.K and U.S. cooperate closely in developing world-class, lifesaving combat medical care
America Supports You: Country Musician Comes by Patriotism Naturally
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - Growing up as part of a military family, country music star Aaron Tippin learned a crucial lesson early in life: Freedom isn't free. "That might be a corny old saying, but you know what?" he asked. "It is still true. Freedom is not free."
Tippin, who was in Washington for some publicity appearances, said his father, Willis, served in the military. The senior Tippin always was deeply patriotic, even after he left the service, his son added.
"That really bled into me," he said. "So I have a great appreciation for my freedom and have a deep understanding that (servicemembers) are the people that are directly responsible for it."
The musician has expressed that appreciation many times through his music. One of his first hit songs, the 1991 single "You've Got to Stand for Something," earned him a spot entertaining the troops with comedian Bob Hope in the Persian Gulf region.
Since then, Tippin has entertained the troops numerous times, including the past three Thanksgiving holidays. Each visit gives him new perspective and renews his admiration for those serving the United States, he said.
What strikes him most is the progress being made and the troops' role in that growth. One Iraqi boy in particular made it clear that U.S. troops are making a difference during Tippin's 2007 trip.
After suffering serious facial injuries in a roadside bombing, the boy had undergone many surgeries and was still in the hospital recovering. He caught Tippin's attention as the singer visited the hospital, which just two years before had been filled with wounded American troops.
Tippin autographed a picture for the boy while a translator explained who the singer was and what he was doing.
"He got up off his little mat and he came over to me and he took the picture," the singer said. "He looked up at me and then looked at it again, and he walked over and gave me a great big hug and a kiss.
"That floored me," Tippin added.
The child's simple act was powerful enough, but it was more than just simple human emotion to Tippin.
"What I realized (through) the touch of that child (is), our troops know how to be great soldiers, great Marines, great airmen, great sailors," he said. "They do battle the way it should be done, and that was just so inspiring.
"If that would have been our enemy (that found the boy), they'd have left that little kid to die right there in the street," Tippin added.
The Nashville-based musician doesn't have to be oceans from home to be "wowed" by the troops, though. He frequently plays for military audiences in the states as well.
He considers it his reward when, while meeting fans at the end of a show, a servicemember shows him a photo from an overseas performance. It never fails that the photo strikes a familiar chord.
"It's me and them on the battlefield," Tippin said. "That's a cool moment because ... I've been waiting for the chance to see them here in our country and go, 'Thanks, Man. Glad to see you're home. Glad to see you're safe. Thanks so much; (we) appreciate what you do for us.'"
Tippin's overseas appearances are organized through Stars for Stripes, a nonprofit entertainment organization, and a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
The DoD program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - Growing up as part of a military family, country music star Aaron Tippin learned a crucial lesson early in life: Freedom isn't free. "That might be a corny old saying, but you know what?" he asked. "It is still true. Freedom is not free."
Tippin, who was in Washington for some publicity appearances, said his father, Willis, served in the military. The senior Tippin always was deeply patriotic, even after he left the service, his son added.
"That really bled into me," he said. "So I have a great appreciation for my freedom and have a deep understanding that (servicemembers) are the people that are directly responsible for it."
The musician has expressed that appreciation many times through his music. One of his first hit songs, the 1991 single "You've Got to Stand for Something," earned him a spot entertaining the troops with comedian Bob Hope in the Persian Gulf region.
Since then, Tippin has entertained the troops numerous times, including the past three Thanksgiving holidays. Each visit gives him new perspective and renews his admiration for those serving the United States, he said.
What strikes him most is the progress being made and the troops' role in that growth. One Iraqi boy in particular made it clear that U.S. troops are making a difference during Tippin's 2007 trip.
After suffering serious facial injuries in a roadside bombing, the boy had undergone many surgeries and was still in the hospital recovering. He caught Tippin's attention as the singer visited the hospital, which just two years before had been filled with wounded American troops.
Tippin autographed a picture for the boy while a translator explained who the singer was and what he was doing.
"He got up off his little mat and he came over to me and he took the picture," the singer said. "He looked up at me and then looked at it again, and he walked over and gave me a great big hug and a kiss.
"That floored me," Tippin added.
The child's simple act was powerful enough, but it was more than just simple human emotion to Tippin.
"What I realized (through) the touch of that child (is), our troops know how to be great soldiers, great Marines, great airmen, great sailors," he said. "They do battle the way it should be done, and that was just so inspiring.
"If that would have been our enemy (that found the boy), they'd have left that little kid to die right there in the street," Tippin added.
The Nashville-based musician doesn't have to be oceans from home to be "wowed" by the troops, though. He frequently plays for military audiences in the states as well.
He considers it his reward when, while meeting fans at the end of a show, a servicemember shows him a photo from an overseas performance. It never fails that the photo strikes a familiar chord.
"It's me and them on the battlefield," Tippin said. "That's a cool moment because ... I've been waiting for the chance to see them here in our country and go, 'Thanks, Man. Glad to see you're home. Glad to see you're safe. Thanks so much; (we) appreciate what you do for us.'"
Tippin's overseas appearances are organized through Stars for Stripes, a nonprofit entertainment organization, and a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
The DoD program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
'Active First' Program Shows Promise in Army Recruiting
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - Army Secretary Pete Geren is crediting a new National Guard program that brings new recruits into the active Army with a commitment to finish up their tours in the Guard or Reserve as an example of innovative initiatives that are helping maintain the force. More than 500 recruits enlisted in the "Active First" program since its kick-off Oct. 1. Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army Guard, said he has no doubt the program will live up to Geren's 1,600-recruit goal for fiscal 2008.
"Sixteen hundred is not going to be hard, not at all," Vaughn said.
Geren called the program a partnership that "shows our Army is truly one Army" and is helping the Army keep its ranks filled with quality recruits. That's particularly important, he said, as the Army increases its active-force end strength by .2 percent by the end of 2010.
"We're on track to meet that goal, and if our trends continue, we may well exceed it. Certainly we are on track to meet it," he said. "Active First deserves growing credit for our ability to meet that goal.
"This partnership is bearing great fruit for the total Army," he added.
The Active First program has three phases. Recruits first join their hometown National Guard unit, which prepares them for the second phase: basic training and an active Army tour. After finishing out their active-duty commitments, the soldiers return to the National Guard to resume their eight-year military obligation.
Vaugh acknowledged that some Active First recruits ultimately may decide to stay on active duty rather than returning to the Guard. "Do we care if they stay on active duty? No. That's a great thing for the nation," he said.
Those Active First troops who finish out their commitments in the Guard will be welcomed additions to their Guard units because they can hit the ground running without immediately having to be sent off for training, Vaughn said. "They come back from a professional development tour in the active duty and they become valued and treasured members of that organization," he said. "So when we look at this thing and say, 'Is this a win?' it is a big win."
Officials say the program's strength is that it draws on the National Guard's close ties in the communities to draw troops into the force. "The Guard has strong contacts in the community all over America, and it is these contacts and the trust that the communities of America have in Guardsmen that enabled this program to get off the ground with such great strength," Geren said.
Troops who enlist through the program get the benefit of being mentored in their hometowns to ensure they're prepared for basic training, Vaughn said. They go to the firing ranges with their units and get exposed to a variety of military training activities. "We try to get every experience to them before they get to training," Vaughn said. "We make sure they start up this path the right way, and they make something for all of us to be proud of," he said.
About 60 percent of recruits into the Active First program were referred through another soldier, officials said. Pfc. Matt Millen, who joined the program through the Kansas National Guard, said a friend referred him. One Active First recruit, 19-year-old Pvt. Damien L. Jones, said he's already referred three other recruits through the program.
The program offers big bonus incentives: $40,000 for troops who sign up for four years of active duty, $30,000 for 36 months of active duty, and $20,000 for 30 months of active duty. Active First recruits who return to the National Guard after their active-duty commitments receive another $20,000, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2008 - Army Secretary Pete Geren is crediting a new National Guard program that brings new recruits into the active Army with a commitment to finish up their tours in the Guard or Reserve as an example of innovative initiatives that are helping maintain the force. More than 500 recruits enlisted in the "Active First" program since its kick-off Oct. 1. Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army Guard, said he has no doubt the program will live up to Geren's 1,600-recruit goal for fiscal 2008.
"Sixteen hundred is not going to be hard, not at all," Vaughn said.
Geren called the program a partnership that "shows our Army is truly one Army" and is helping the Army keep its ranks filled with quality recruits. That's particularly important, he said, as the Army increases its active-force end strength by .2 percent by the end of 2010.
"We're on track to meet that goal, and if our trends continue, we may well exceed it. Certainly we are on track to meet it," he said. "Active First deserves growing credit for our ability to meet that goal.
"This partnership is bearing great fruit for the total Army," he added.
The Active First program has three phases. Recruits first join their hometown National Guard unit, which prepares them for the second phase: basic training and an active Army tour. After finishing out their active-duty commitments, the soldiers return to the National Guard to resume their eight-year military obligation.
Vaugh acknowledged that some Active First recruits ultimately may decide to stay on active duty rather than returning to the Guard. "Do we care if they stay on active duty? No. That's a great thing for the nation," he said.
Those Active First troops who finish out their commitments in the Guard will be welcomed additions to their Guard units because they can hit the ground running without immediately having to be sent off for training, Vaughn said. "They come back from a professional development tour in the active duty and they become valued and treasured members of that organization," he said. "So when we look at this thing and say, 'Is this a win?' it is a big win."
Officials say the program's strength is that it draws on the National Guard's close ties in the communities to draw troops into the force. "The Guard has strong contacts in the community all over America, and it is these contacts and the trust that the communities of America have in Guardsmen that enabled this program to get off the ground with such great strength," Geren said.
Troops who enlist through the program get the benefit of being mentored in their hometowns to ensure they're prepared for basic training, Vaughn said. They go to the firing ranges with their units and get exposed to a variety of military training activities. "We try to get every experience to them before they get to training," Vaughn said. "We make sure they start up this path the right way, and they make something for all of us to be proud of," he said.
About 60 percent of recruits into the Active First program were referred through another soldier, officials said. Pfc. Matt Millen, who joined the program through the Kansas National Guard, said a friend referred him. One Active First recruit, 19-year-old Pvt. Damien L. Jones, said he's already referred three other recruits through the program.
The program offers big bonus incentives: $40,000 for troops who sign up for four years of active duty, $30,000 for 36 months of active duty, and $20,000 for 30 months of active duty. Active First recruits who return to the National Guard after their active-duty commitments receive another $20,000, officials said.
INTREPIDITY . . . .AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE ARMY PROFESSION
How many Army soldiers, particularly Leaders, who just read the title of this opinion piece, knew the meaning of the first word; how many brought to their reading an accurate understanding of the term? More importantly, how many Army Leaders could place a true meaning of the word into the context of the Army as a unique profession producing, for the security of the American people, fighting forces for effective land combat? Where does intrepidity fit in what the Army produces and how does the profession develop such a thing?
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub847.pdf
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub847.pdf
ChemBio Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- January 9, 2008
New York Presses To Deploy More Bioweapons Sensors
“[New York] City officials last month quietly activated some of the nation's newest generation of early warning sensors to detect a biological attack, turning on a limited number of filing-cabinet-size air filters in sensitive, high-volume areas of Manhattan. But city officials say their effort to expand the program has run into surprising resistance from the White House, which is not widely deploying the machines. Five years ago, officials here note, the Bush administration was prodding local authorities to move faster to detect the use of biological weapons and pouring billions into biosecurity-related initiatives. New York's leaders now say the administration's enthusiasm and sense of urgency has flagged in its final year in office.” (Washington Post, 09Jan08; Spencer S. Hsu) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/08/AR2008010803892.html?hpid=topnews
Will ‘NIMBY’ Syndrome Kill N.C. [North Carolina]’s Chances for Bioterror Lab?
“Tuesday’s news that the Granville County [North Carolina] Board of Commissioners has pulled support for building a bioterrorism lab near Butner is bad news for the project. The NIMBY syndrome – as in ‘not in my back yard’ – will chill local and state efforts to win the $450 million project and the hundreds of scientific research jobs that go with it.
However, […] federal officials are at fault for not helping to allay people’s concerns about the project. ‘Homeland Security is not talking to people, not answering their questions,’ local resident John Monroe [said]. Have concerns about the project? Go to our Web site, said Homeland Security. Poor communication about what exactly the project is – and how dangerous it could be – could very well throw North Carolina’s extensive recruitment efforts into turmoil.” (WRAL LocalTechWire.com, 09Jan08, Rick
Smith)
http://www.localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/opinion/blogpost/2275140/
Lab electrician contends firing was retaliatory
“A former electrician at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton [Montana] is alleging that he was fired last spring after lodging complaints about safety breaches at the research facility, which is building a lab to study dangerous diseases such as Ebola. The matter goes before a federal administrative judge in Missoula today for a two-day hearing to determine if managers fired the man as punishment for being a whistle-blower. Rick Hurley, a licensed master electrician who has worked for the federal government for more than 20 years, filed a whistle-blower complaint in March 2006. The National Institutes of Health, which ultimately oversees the lab, issued a statement Monday saying officials investigated all of Hurley's complaints regarding electrical safety at the lab and found them baseless. […] At issue in today's hearing is not whether Hurley's allegations are true, but if the lab was right to fire him and whether managers did so in retaliation for his allegations. The hearing is a result of Hurley's appealing his April 2007 termination.” (Billings Gazette, 07Jan08, Jennifer McKee) http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/08/news/state/24-electrician.txt
The growing number of immunocompromised
“It's estimated that about 10 million people in the United States (3.6 percent of the population) are immunocompromised. But that's likely an underestimate because it only includes those with HIV/AIDS (diagnosed and undiagnosed), organ transplant recipients, and cancer patients; there's a sizable population that takes immunosuppressive drugs for other disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This is a concern because while modern medicine allows many immunocompromised individuals to live longer, they're at an increased risk for acquiring and spreading infections to others. […] Agents of bioterrorism such as smallpox also pose a great risk to the immunocompromised, who are ineligible for the smallpox vaccine because it contains an active (although weakened) virus that could cause a deadly adverse reaction.”
(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 07Jan08, Laura H. Kahn) http://www.thebulletin.org/columns/laura-kahn/20080107.html
Oregon commission reopens public testimony on Umatilla waste
“In response to a lawsuit, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission voted Tuesday to reopen public comment on the disposal of secondary waste from the destruction of aging chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot near Hermiston. The waste includes plastic protective suits used by workers and contaminated carbon filters from the incinerators used to destroy the stockpile of Cold War chemical weapons at the Army depot in Eastern Oregon. The Government Accountability Project, based in Washington, D.C., won a ruling in April in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland ordering the state to review the ‘best available technology’ for disposing of secondary waste.” (OregonLive.com, 08Jan08, AP) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1199832242189460.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army Corps hopes to resume chemical munitions dig
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is awaiting a safety board's approval to resume digging for buried chemical munitions near American University [Washington, D.C.]. Army Corps officials say they stopped digging in early December after the discovery of a shell that was configured to explode. Project manager Dan Noble says it's only the second explosively configured munition found in 15 years of digging for World War I munitions buried in the area. In a meeting with nearby residents late Tuesday, officials said the shell did not have a fuse attached, making the chance of an explosion highly unlikely. The Army operated a chemical warfare station at the university to develop and test weapons during the war. Munitions were buried behind the campus when the Army left decades ago.” (Examiner.com, 09Jan08)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1146999~Army_Corps_hopes_to_resume_chemical_munitions_dig.html
Feds, farm groups working to improve security of high-risk farm chemicals
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working to make the screening process regarding chemical security regulations more appropriate for farmers. The department recently announced a delay that exempts farmers and other agricultural facilities from having to complete the vulnerability screening, which has caused some confusion about who should complete the screening and who is exempt. The screening will help DHS determine if it needs to follow up with individuals to do further vulnerability assessments, according to a university report. ‘The system that is in place for chemical manufacturing, refining and distribution plants is not ideal for farm operations,’ says Purdue University Extension Disaster Education Network communication specialist and field staff liaison Steve Cain. ‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and farm organizations will work with the department to help develop a system more appropriate for agriculture.’” (Agriculture Online, 09Jan08) http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1199892909300.xml
Poison sent to councillor 'strong enough to kill'
“The poison in a vodka bottle sent to a Blackburn [U.K.] councillor as part of a campaign for Scottish independence was strong enough to kill him, a court heard. Wayne Cook, 45, is on trial at the court charged with two counts of using noxious substances or things to cause harm and intimidate, under anti-terrorism legislation. The unemployed father-of-three is accused of sending a miniature bottle of vodka filled with caustic soda to Darwen councillor John Wright in April 2007 while another parcel with the same contents was posted to a Scottish journalist, Myra Philp. […] It is alleged that the parcels were sent as part of a campaign by the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA) to force the British Government out of Scotland. Cook denies the charges.” (Blackburn Citizen, 09Jan08, Telegraph Newsdesk) http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/newsheadlines/display.var.1953786.0.poison_sent_to_councillor_strong_enought_to_kill.php
Congress Calls for Outside Look at Radiation Detectors
“The omnibus spending bill passed late last year by Congress has placed additional hurdles in front of the Homeland Security Department’s drive to roll out next-generation radiation detectors at U.S. ports, including demanding an outside scientific evaluation of the technology. The new requirements are just the latest development in a more than yearlong battle between the Government Accountability Office, lawmakers and DHS officials over the efficacy of the new technology and the way in which the department has tested it. The new detectors, called Advanced Spectroscopic Portal monitors (or ASPs), are designed to not only detect radiation but to identify the nature of its source, eliminating the need for time-consuming secondary inspections to determine whether the material is innocuous or dangerous. A number of mundane items regularly shipped into the United States, including ceramic tiles and bananas, contain radioactive isotopes that can set off the radiation detectors.” (Global Security Newswire, 09Jan08, Jon Fox)
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2008_1_9.html#65053A68
Press candidates on threat of nuclear terrorism, two say
“Voters should press the presidential candidates to say what they would do, if elected, to prevent terrorists from carrying out a nuclear attack in the U.S., an expert on nuclear terrorism and the daughter of a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks said Tuesday. Michael Hurley, a counter terrorism advisor to the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior staff member to the
911 Commission, and Carie Lemack, founder of Families of September 11, commended efforts since the 2001 attacks to avoid a promised al-Qaida-led nuclear attack on the nation, but they said more can be done.” (Arkansas News Bureau, 09Jan08, Rob Moritz) http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/01/09/News/344767.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
For more information and resources on CBW and WMD terrorism, visit the web page of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, at http://cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/index.htm
“[New York] City officials last month quietly activated some of the nation's newest generation of early warning sensors to detect a biological attack, turning on a limited number of filing-cabinet-size air filters in sensitive, high-volume areas of Manhattan. But city officials say their effort to expand the program has run into surprising resistance from the White House, which is not widely deploying the machines. Five years ago, officials here note, the Bush administration was prodding local authorities to move faster to detect the use of biological weapons and pouring billions into biosecurity-related initiatives. New York's leaders now say the administration's enthusiasm and sense of urgency has flagged in its final year in office.” (Washington Post, 09Jan08; Spencer S. Hsu) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/08/AR2008010803892.html?hpid=topnews
Will ‘NIMBY’ Syndrome Kill N.C. [North Carolina]’s Chances for Bioterror Lab?
“Tuesday’s news that the Granville County [North Carolina] Board of Commissioners has pulled support for building a bioterrorism lab near Butner is bad news for the project. The NIMBY syndrome – as in ‘not in my back yard’ – will chill local and state efforts to win the $450 million project and the hundreds of scientific research jobs that go with it.
However, […] federal officials are at fault for not helping to allay people’s concerns about the project. ‘Homeland Security is not talking to people, not answering their questions,’ local resident John Monroe [said]. Have concerns about the project? Go to our Web site, said Homeland Security. Poor communication about what exactly the project is – and how dangerous it could be – could very well throw North Carolina’s extensive recruitment efforts into turmoil.” (WRAL LocalTechWire.com, 09Jan08, Rick
Smith)
http://www.localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/opinion/blogpost/2275140/
Lab electrician contends firing was retaliatory
“A former electrician at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton [Montana] is alleging that he was fired last spring after lodging complaints about safety breaches at the research facility, which is building a lab to study dangerous diseases such as Ebola. The matter goes before a federal administrative judge in Missoula today for a two-day hearing to determine if managers fired the man as punishment for being a whistle-blower. Rick Hurley, a licensed master electrician who has worked for the federal government for more than 20 years, filed a whistle-blower complaint in March 2006. The National Institutes of Health, which ultimately oversees the lab, issued a statement Monday saying officials investigated all of Hurley's complaints regarding electrical safety at the lab and found them baseless. […] At issue in today's hearing is not whether Hurley's allegations are true, but if the lab was right to fire him and whether managers did so in retaliation for his allegations. The hearing is a result of Hurley's appealing his April 2007 termination.” (Billings Gazette, 07Jan08, Jennifer McKee) http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/08/news/state/24-electrician.txt
The growing number of immunocompromised
“It's estimated that about 10 million people in the United States (3.6 percent of the population) are immunocompromised. But that's likely an underestimate because it only includes those with HIV/AIDS (diagnosed and undiagnosed), organ transplant recipients, and cancer patients; there's a sizable population that takes immunosuppressive drugs for other disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This is a concern because while modern medicine allows many immunocompromised individuals to live longer, they're at an increased risk for acquiring and spreading infections to others. […] Agents of bioterrorism such as smallpox also pose a great risk to the immunocompromised, who are ineligible for the smallpox vaccine because it contains an active (although weakened) virus that could cause a deadly adverse reaction.”
(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 07Jan08, Laura H. Kahn) http://www.thebulletin.org/columns/laura-kahn/20080107.html
Oregon commission reopens public testimony on Umatilla waste
“In response to a lawsuit, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission voted Tuesday to reopen public comment on the disposal of secondary waste from the destruction of aging chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot near Hermiston. The waste includes plastic protective suits used by workers and contaminated carbon filters from the incinerators used to destroy the stockpile of Cold War chemical weapons at the Army depot in Eastern Oregon. The Government Accountability Project, based in Washington, D.C., won a ruling in April in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland ordering the state to review the ‘best available technology’ for disposing of secondary waste.” (OregonLive.com, 08Jan08, AP) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1199832242189460.xml&storylist=orlocal
Army Corps hopes to resume chemical munitions dig
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is awaiting a safety board's approval to resume digging for buried chemical munitions near American University [Washington, D.C.]. Army Corps officials say they stopped digging in early December after the discovery of a shell that was configured to explode. Project manager Dan Noble says it's only the second explosively configured munition found in 15 years of digging for World War I munitions buried in the area. In a meeting with nearby residents late Tuesday, officials said the shell did not have a fuse attached, making the chance of an explosion highly unlikely. The Army operated a chemical warfare station at the university to develop and test weapons during the war. Munitions were buried behind the campus when the Army left decades ago.” (Examiner.com, 09Jan08)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1146999~Army_Corps_hopes_to_resume_chemical_munitions_dig.html
Feds, farm groups working to improve security of high-risk farm chemicals
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working to make the screening process regarding chemical security regulations more appropriate for farmers. The department recently announced a delay that exempts farmers and other agricultural facilities from having to complete the vulnerability screening, which has caused some confusion about who should complete the screening and who is exempt. The screening will help DHS determine if it needs to follow up with individuals to do further vulnerability assessments, according to a university report. ‘The system that is in place for chemical manufacturing, refining and distribution plants is not ideal for farm operations,’ says Purdue University Extension Disaster Education Network communication specialist and field staff liaison Steve Cain. ‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and farm organizations will work with the department to help develop a system more appropriate for agriculture.’” (Agriculture Online, 09Jan08) http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1199892909300.xml
Poison sent to councillor 'strong enough to kill'
“The poison in a vodka bottle sent to a Blackburn [U.K.] councillor as part of a campaign for Scottish independence was strong enough to kill him, a court heard. Wayne Cook, 45, is on trial at the court charged with two counts of using noxious substances or things to cause harm and intimidate, under anti-terrorism legislation. The unemployed father-of-three is accused of sending a miniature bottle of vodka filled with caustic soda to Darwen councillor John Wright in April 2007 while another parcel with the same contents was posted to a Scottish journalist, Myra Philp. […] It is alleged that the parcels were sent as part of a campaign by the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA) to force the British Government out of Scotland. Cook denies the charges.” (Blackburn Citizen, 09Jan08, Telegraph Newsdesk) http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/newsheadlines/display.var.1953786.0.poison_sent_to_councillor_strong_enought_to_kill.php
Congress Calls for Outside Look at Radiation Detectors
“The omnibus spending bill passed late last year by Congress has placed additional hurdles in front of the Homeland Security Department’s drive to roll out next-generation radiation detectors at U.S. ports, including demanding an outside scientific evaluation of the technology. The new requirements are just the latest development in a more than yearlong battle between the Government Accountability Office, lawmakers and DHS officials over the efficacy of the new technology and the way in which the department has tested it. The new detectors, called Advanced Spectroscopic Portal monitors (or ASPs), are designed to not only detect radiation but to identify the nature of its source, eliminating the need for time-consuming secondary inspections to determine whether the material is innocuous or dangerous. A number of mundane items regularly shipped into the United States, including ceramic tiles and bananas, contain radioactive isotopes that can set off the radiation detectors.” (Global Security Newswire, 09Jan08, Jon Fox)
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2008_1_9.html#65053A68
Press candidates on threat of nuclear terrorism, two say
“Voters should press the presidential candidates to say what they would do, if elected, to prevent terrorists from carrying out a nuclear attack in the U.S., an expert on nuclear terrorism and the daughter of a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks said Tuesday. Michael Hurley, a counter terrorism advisor to the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior staff member to the
911 Commission, and Carie Lemack, founder of Families of September 11, commended efforts since the 2001 attacks to avoid a promised al-Qaida-led nuclear attack on the nation, but they said more can be done.” (Arkansas News Bureau, 09Jan08, Rob Moritz) http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/01/09/News/344767.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
For more information and resources on CBW and WMD terrorism, visit the web page of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, at http://cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/index.htm
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