Call for New 'Manhattan Project' to Fight Bioterror

[420inTN]

Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:32 PM ET

By Ben Hirschler

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world needs an effort similar to that behind the creation of the atomic bomb to tackle the multi-faceted threat of biowarfare, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Thursday.

"We need to do something that even dwarfs the Manhattan project," Frist told the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Manhattan project was the codename for the United States's World War II effort to devise an atomic weapon.

"The greatest existential threat we have in the world today is biological. Why? Because unlike any other threat it has the power of panic and paralysis to be global."

He predicted that the world would experience another bioweapon attack within the next decade, following the limited casualties seen when anthrax was sent through the U.S. mail system in 2001.

more, full story here: today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-01-27T173133Z_01_L27160382_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-DAVOS-SECURITY-BIOWEAPONS-DC.XML

[bemildred]

1. Slobber, snarf, drool, lurch, slobber, whine, drivel ....

These bozos are grabbing at straws these days. Whatever happened to
sending men to Mars anyway? Have we conquered AIDS yet? I don't have
the feeling that Mr. Frist actually knows a lot about the Manhattan
Project.

[420inTN]

4. Yeah, that's about what I was thinking.

The Manhattan Project was to develop weapons. He would have done better to reference Bletchley Park.

[seasat]

2. Nope,

We need the Manhattan Project on clean renewable energy. If we had energy independence then we wouldn't have as great a problem with terrorism. Energy independence would lower the price of fossil fuel and weaken dictators in the middle east whose oppression of their population contributes to the growth of terrorists. It would also mean the neocons would have no reason to start wars over there creating more terrorists. The main worry I have about bio-terrorism is from nut jobs here in the US. However, with the Shrub Inc's dumbing down of science and education, there are fewer people educated in techniques for producing a sophisticated bio-weapon.

[primavera]

7. Ah, but that would require asking WHY terrorists want to kill us...

... rather than simply discounting them as agents of evil who hate us for our freedom. You're talking about actually treating the underlying disease rather than just the symptom! What's wrong with you, why do you hate America?

[geomon666]

3. If he's calling for it now you can bet it's already underway.

Let me get this straight. He wants the US government to create a giant biological bomb to fight biowarfare? Is that what I'm getting from this article? Otherwise what the hell is he saying?

[420inTN]

5. Naw, he's not talking about building a bio-bomb...

I think that he's saying that we need the effort and work that went into building the Bomb put into developing defenses from bio-terrah.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. It's a dumb analogy

MP was about building a weapon- it was an OFFENSIVE strategy- what we need is a DEFENSE against attack, and I don't know what the fuck he has in mind other than paying his pharmecutical buddies billions to develop vaccines for every known bio-weapon.

[sweetheart]

6. So he's sayin' that we need bioweapons

The manhattan project was to make weapons... clearly these nutjobs
want to make weapons... wanker!

Sounds like this week's "terrorists might do" thread.... frist failed
to mention that the anthrax of 2001 was from US bioweapons stocks
and somehow it just went walkabout without anyone being found
responsible.

These jokers are nothing if not hipocrates and liars.

[Lorien]

8. How about a project for RENEWABLE ENERGY??!!

Good Lord, how many times do the world's scientists have to scream "WE'RE KILLING THE PLANET!!!" before anyone gets their heads out of their asses? Terrorism IS NOT the biggest threat to mankind. Peak oil IS NOT the biggest threat to mankind. Global warming IS.

[420inTN]

10. Yeah, that was suggested in reply #2. eom

[On the Road]

9. Forget Anthrax and Sarin

They're no more deadly than conventional weapons these days and much harder to work with.

I do agree that bola and smallpox are serious dangers because they can result in a pandemic. But guess what -- to combat those weapons you have to culture and work with live microorganisms.

Look who the CDC gave biological agents too in the 80s -- none other than our friend Saddam. Somehow the idea of the Bush administration creating those bio substances does not make me feel safer.

[mom cat]

11. The world has not recovered from the last Manhattan Project!

:nuke::puke:

[lostnfound]

13. Let's hope he's not just "proving" how smart he is, right before ..

something bad happens.

:shiver: