US army plans to bulk-buy anthrax

[Kailassa]

One "biological services" contract specifies: "The company must have the ability and be willing to grow Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain at 1500-litre quantities." Other contracts are for fermentation equipment for producing 3000-litre batches of an unspecified biological agent, and sheep carcasses to test the efficiency of an incinerator for the disposal of infected livestock. ...

The US renounced biological weapons in 1969, but small quantities of lethal anthrax were still being produced at Dugway as recently as 1998. ...

There are even fears that they could be used to determine how effectively anthrax is dispersed when released from bombs or crop-spraying aircraft. "I can definitely see them testing biological weapons delivery systems for threat assessment," says Hammond.

Whatever use it is put to, however, the move could be seen as highly provocative by other nations, he says. "What would happen to the Biological Weapons Convention if other countries followed suit and built large biological production facilities at secretive military bases known for weapons testing?"

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8044

I would guess this belongs in "breaking news", but I was a little late stumbling across it.

[atommom]

1. Also posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2112262&mesg_id=2112262

I think this story deserves more attention than it's getting. Do we trust our government to mass-produce biological weapons? I think we'll be in at least as much danger as our so-called enemies will.

[pengu1n]

2. Jus can't wait...

Anthrax.....excellent idea.
The UK Army tested it during WWII on a small Scottish island. No-one can visit there without a Haz-Mat suit. 60 years later.

Jebus. Ah well - another day, another dollar!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. If you think it needs more attention, nominate the thread. Duh.

If you think it needs more attention, nominate the thread. Duh. Why am I the first to nominate this, an hour after you posted?

[zbdent]

3. I would bet that Karl Rove knows of a person they can contact

to get a batch . . . but the investigators "can't figure out who it is" . . .

[thecodewarrior]

4. Don't we

accuse other countries of doing this and then invade them for it?

IE. Addicted to acquiring WMD.

[zbdent]

5. And we're the only country which has used nuclear weapons

on another country . . .

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. Ding Ding Ding!!!

Yes! And that was Bush's main premise to invade Iraq.

Of course, the rest of the world knows it can trust us with such weapons. We're only for freedom and democracy ideals and spreading them throughout the world. :sarcasm:

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[leftofthedial]

8. the supplies they gave to the White House in 2001 and 2002

depleted their reserves