Subject:
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Re: A N T H R A X - they aren't making this stuff in caves in Afghanistan
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 15 Oct 2001 21:13:14 GMT
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Viewed:
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721 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Scott Arthur writes:
> (citing the Guardian)
> > ==+==
> > In May 1989, large-scale anthrax production began at a factory constructed
> > at Al Hakam. Unscom estimated that Al Hakam manufactured 8,425 litres of
> > anthrax bacteria during the course of 1990.
> > ==+==
>
> Thanks for the cite. Does anyone know if this stuff keeps for 10 years in
> powder form? Bacteria are quite resilient but 10 years is an aw'fly long time.
The powder isn't bacteria. The powder is *spores*. And spores
keep a long, long, long time--live spores nearly 8,000 years old
have been pulled from ice cores in the last decade or so.
> (of course that cite just shows production capability, it could still be in
> production, or Iraq could be totally innocent of this particular perfidy and
> the site destroyed or out of production for years. Who knows?)
Apparently it's possible to get small amounts of this stuff
from supply companies in the US. You'd need a way to make more,
sure, but with bin Laden's deep pockets it's possible.
Then again, it *could* be left over. Or it could be an opportunistic
attack from an antigovernment group here in the USA.
> What I think is telling is the price/performance ratio here. For the cost of
> a stamp and a little legwork (ignoring production cost), an entire country
> is stirred up and tens or hundreds of millions spent on defense. Highly
> asymmetrical, highly efficient of scarce terrorist resources.
...and it undermines public confidence in a major public industry.
A government public industry. What's worse, the powder from one
of those letters, if it's leaking out through the seams as it's
been said to do, could be spread around on *hundreds* or *thousands*
of pieces of mail. Aiiiee. Let the US Government do your distribution
for you.
IMHO, this is the hallmark of this entire terror campaign--to use
our institutions, our technologies, our fears, and our freedoms
against us. It's brilliant, but I'm convinced that they've really
underestimated the power of our commitment to our ideals.
> Evil != stupid
Alas, true evil rarely is. Were only bin Laden that dumb guy
who leaves his wallet at the gas station he's just robbed...sigh.
best
LFB
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