Is al Qaeda Anthrax and Biological Weapons Program A Concern

As I explained in my piece yesterday, Peter Bergen, a CNN commentator and senior fellow at the New America Foundation, does not believe the intelligence Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) gave up on al Qaeda’s sleeper agents was all that important. The facts and evidence, as accumulated by American intelligence and law enforcement officials, show otherwise. Bergen’s reading of this evidence is simply mendacious. Bergen’s reading of the intelligence KSM gave up on al Qaeda’s anthrax program is also horribly skewed.

Months prior to KSM’s arrest, an al Qaeda operative named Yazid Sufaat was arrested in Malaysia. Authorities did not know Sufaat’s role as al Qaeda’s chief anthrax scientist at the time. After he was captured on March 1, 2003, KSM gave up intelligence on Sufaat and two others involved in the anthrax program. When confronted with this intelligence, Sufaat then admitted his prominent role. This story is partially told in a recently declassified CIA analysis dated July 13, 2004 and titled “Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: Preeminent Source on Al Qaeda.”

While the CIA found this intelligence important, Bergen thinks it was close to, if not entirely, worthless. Why? Bergen says al Qaeda’s anthrax program was harmless. In a piece for Foreign Policy, Bergen wrote: “In fact, al Qaeda’s anthrax program was a big dud that never produced anything remotely threatening, a point that the CIA report is silent on.”

The CIA’s report is silent on this point because it is completely wrong. In fact, here is what Bergen wrote in his book Holy War, Inc. (emphasis added):

Al Qaeda also explored the possibility of deploying biological weapons: diagrams of a balloon dispersing anthrax were discovered at an al Qaeda safe house in Kabul, and CIA director Geroge Tenet testified before Congress in February 2002 that documents discovered in Afghanistan “show bin Laden was pursuing a sophisticated biological weapons program.”

via The Weekly Standard.

30 Quarantined In Possible Anthrax Attack – Pomona

30 quarantined due to suspicious powder A suspicious package, containing an unidentified, yellow powder, opened Thursday at a college in Pomona left one student exposed and 30 other people quarantined for their protection as hazardous materials teams and the FBI investigated the possible attack.

A “possible anthrax in an envelope” call was reported at 2:07 p.m. to the Student Services office at Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second St., said Inspector Mathew Levesque of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“One student was exposed but is showing no symptoms at this time,” Levesque said. “And 30 other people have been quarantined to defend them from an exposure.”

Source

DHS Certifies Handheld Biodetection Kits For Counter-Terrorism

Universal Detection Technology, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that its handheld biodetection kits have been certified by the Department of Homeland Security as an “Approved Product for Homeland Security” under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act of 2002.

The SAFETY Act provides incentives for the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies by creating a system of “risk management” and a system of “litigation management.” The purpose of the act is to ensure that the threat of liability does not deter potential manufacturers or sellers of anti-terrorism technologies from developing and commercializing technologies that could save lives.

The handheld detection kits have been extensively used by first responders and private industry throughout the country. The equipment has been evaluated by the U.S. DOD, as well as by the United Kingdom military. The equipment’s capacities feature the following:

• No cross-reactivity with near neighbor strains
• No cross-reactivity to household powders
• No set up time
• No expensive reader needed
• No decontamination requirements
• No false positives
• No false negatives
• No hook effect

“The size and ease of use of these kits makes them ideal for emergency situations where time is of the essence,” says Jacques Tizabi, UNDT’s Chief Executive Officer. “UNDT’s kits are some of the most user friendly and accurate products currently on the market.”

Source

3 Kentucky Congressmen Receive Suspicious Letters

The United States Capitol Police are investigating suspicious letters sent Monday to the district offices of three Republican congressmen from Kentucky

The letters were sent to the offices of Reps. Ed Whitfield of the 1st District, Brett Guthrie of the 2nd District and Geoff Davis of the 4th District.

At least two of the letters claimed — falsely — to contain anthrax, spokesmen for the congressmen said.

Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider confirmed that her agency was conducting an investigation but declined to offer details.

Source

FBI Arrests Man In Anthrax Shock & Awe Terror Hoax – Sent 12 Packages

The FBI arrested a Sacramento man late Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of sending hoax packages containing sugar packets labeled as anthrax and CDs entitled anthrax.

Agents took Marc M. Keyser, 66, into custody without incident at his home.

The FBI says Keyser is facing three charges for allegedly mailing more than 120 packages containing a CD titled “Anthrax: Shock & Awe Terror.” Attached to the CDs were sugar packets containing a white powdery substance and a label with an orange biohazard symbol and the words “Anthrax Sample.”

One of the packages was delivered to the Modesto office of Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, Wednesday morning. The delivery prompted an evacuation and the call-out of a Hazmat squad.

Investigators say Keyser is believed to have sent the packages to over 100 media outlets across the country, including News10, and at least two restaurants in the Sacramento-area.

Testing has been completed on several of the packages and there has been no evidence of a bio-hazard substance, says the FBI. The agency warned there will propably be additional packages received in the next several days. The FBI encourages recipients to contact law enforcement so that the packages can be examined and held as possible evidence.

There is no word on a motive for the packages.

The arrest wasn’t the first time Keyser has made area headlines.

Source