Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Army To Ramp Up Anthrax Purchasing
An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist reports that the U.S. Army wants to purchase a large supply of an anthrax strain." From the article: "A series of contracts have been uncovered that relate to the US army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. They ask companies to tender for the production of bulk quantities of a non-virulent strain of anthrax, and for equipment to produce significant volumes of other biological agents ... Although the Sterne strain is not thought to be harmful to humans and is used for vaccination, the contracts have caused major concern. 'It raises a serious question over how the US is going to demonstrate its compliance with obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention if it brings these tanks online,'"
FYI: the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention has a website.
No, it didn't.
The US signed Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction and thePROTOCOL FOR THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE IN WAR OF ASPHYXIATING, POISONOUS OR OTHER GASES, AND OF BACTERIOLOGICAL METHODS OF WARFARE
Both of which allow having biological agents for peaceful and protective purposes. I.E. Exactly what the US is doing here.
There's also an another article that you might want to read to undestand why some of us have suspicions about this issue.
My quality social news site.com.
1.) The US sold the WMD's to him in the early 80's
2.) He used WMD's on Iranian soldiers and civilians and its OK
3.) He used WMD's on his own citizens and its OK--only until almost a decade later when we decide its not ok.
"He refused to allow a vigorous inspection to prove he didn't have them."
When you're making a case for war--any excuse is used.
a.) The inspecors were in there for years befor ehe initially kicked them out.
b.) Inspectors were initially let back in befor the war.
c.) inspectors themselves said it was extremely unlikely he had WMD's.
Troll, Troll, go away and flame again some other day
I'm sick and tired of people criticising the US. I'm mean, what have they done that's so bad?
[Heckler]- Well they toppled democracies in Chile, Iran, Guatemala, and other countries.
Ok, but apart from those misunderstandings.
[Heckler]- Well apart from toppling democracies they have supported and continue to support brutal dictatorships around the world. These include Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia, Suharto in Indonesia (hundreds of thousands were Slaughtered). Most recently of course is Islam Karimov in Uzbekistan who likes to have demonstrators mown down with machine guns.
Yeah, ok maybe there were some mistakes made. But apart from toppling democracies and supporting dictatorships, what has the US ever done? I mean, what about the Kurds, we've really helped them out haven't we?
[Heckler] - Yes they're in a strong position now. Let's just hope they forget US support for Saddam while he was gassing them. And lets hope they never realise that the US massively stepped up military aid to Turkey and looked the other way while they were bombing the Kurds.
Ok, but apart from toppling democracies, supporting dictatorships and screwing the Kurds, what is the US so guilty of? [Heckler] - Well how about the support for terrorist acts against Cuba, and other countries? For example, Luis Posada Carriles, a CIA agent was behind the bombing of a Cuban Airliner in 1976. The US refused to extradite him.Then there was the Cuban hotel bombings in 1997, also involving Luis Posada Carriles. And what about those poor Cuban pigs? CIA-Backed anti-Castro terrorists introduced swine fever into Cuba in 1971. This economic sabotage resulted in the slaughter of 500,000 pigs.
Hold on. Cuba is a special situation. It's a dictatorship, so we're just trying to topple it and bring freedom to the Cubans.
[Heckler] - Ok, forget Cuba. We must not forget the 1985 Beirut car bombing. That was a CIA-backed attempt to assassinate Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah. They missed him but killed 85 civilians. Lets also not forget the support for terrorism in Nicaragua. It got so intense that the World Court made a decision in 1986 against the US, ordering it to terminate the unlawful use of force and illegal economic warfare.
Alright, alright, but apart from toppling democracies, supporting dictatorships, screwing the Kurds and supporting terrorism, what has the US ever done?
[Heckler] - Well lets not forget about the vast numbers of civilians killed by US military action. A well-researched article in the Lancet concluded that around 100,000 Iraqis have died since the war started, mostly as a result of "coalition" air strikes. Lets also not forget the several million civilians bombed to death in Vietnam. They weren't all bombed of course, we mustn't forget the My Lai massacre.
We also must not forget the thousands killed during the invasion of Panama in 1989, who's purpose was to removed another CIA-backed dictator, Manuel Noriega.
Okay okay. We've made some past mistakes. But now we're setting it all right in Iraq.
Yes. That's exactly what I thought when I watched footage of a US helicopter slice several farmers apart while one of the pilots says "He's wounded. Hit him!". Or the F16 footage showing a crowd of civilians (not fighters as has been claimed) being bombed while the pilot says "Aw, dude!".
We'll you obviously just hate freedom!
Yes, Rumsfield was over there selling him more weaponry after the fact.
r umsfeld+hussein+shake+hands&spell=1
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&q=
I've also read that they used Bell helicopters fitted for the job--the Commerce department won over the State department.
So when the administration used the gassings as a reason for war, they were just "crocodile tears".
-b