-Caveat Lector- Keeping in mind that these disclosures are just the tip of the iceburg...
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,821306,00.html > US weapons secrets exposed > Julian Borger in Washington > Tuesday October 29, 2002 The Guardian > Respected scientists on both sides of > the Atlantic warned yesterday that the US is developing a new > generation of weapons that undermine and possibly violate > international treaties on biological and chemical warfare. > > The scientists, specialists in bio-warfare and chemical weapons, say > the Pentagon, with the help of the British military, is also working > on "non-lethal" weapons similar to the narcotic gas used by Russian > forces to end last week's siege in Moscow. > > They also point to the paradox of the US developing such weapons at a > time when it is proposing military action against Iraq on the grounds > that Saddam Hussein is breaking international treaties. > > Malcolm Dando, professor of international security at the University > of Bradford, and Mark Wheelis, a lecturer in microbiology at the > University of California, say that the US is encouraging a breakdown > in arms control by its research into biological cluster bombs, > anthrax and non-lethal weapons for use against hostile crowds, and by > the secrecy under which these programmes are being conducted. > > "There can be disagreement over whether what the United States is > doing represents violations of treaties," Mr Wheelis told the > Guardian. "But what is happening is at least so close to the > borderline as to be destabilising." > > In a paper to be published soon in the scientific journal Bulletin of > the Atomic Scientists, the two academics focus on recent US actions > that have served to undermine the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. > In a move that stunned the international community last July, the US > blocked an attempt to give the convention some teeth with > inspections, so that member countries could check if others were > keeping the agreement. > > Mr Dando believes Washington's motive for torpedoing the deal, which > had the support of its allies, was to maintain secrecy over US > research work on biological weapons. He said that work includes: > > · CIA efforts to copy a Soviet cluster bomb designed to disperse > biological weapons > > · A project by the Pentagon to build a bio-weapon plant from > commercially available materials to prove that terrorists could do > the same thing > > · Research by the Defence Intelligence Agency into the possibility of > genetically engineering a new strain of antibiotic-resistant anthrax > > · A programme to produce dried and weaponised anthrax spores, > officially for testing US bio-defences, but far more spores were > allegedly produced than necessary for such purposes and it is unclear > whether they have been destroyed or simply stored. > > In each case, the US argued the research work was being done for > defensive purposes, but their legality under the BWC is questionable, > the scientists argue. > > For example, a clause in the biological weapons treaty forbids > signatories from producing or developing "weapons, equipment or means > of delivery designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile > purposes or in armed conflict". > > Furthermore, signatories agreed to make annual declarations about > their biodefence programmes, but the US never mentioned any of those > programmes in its reports. Instead, they emerged from leaks and press > reporting. > > The focus on Washington's biological and chemical weapons programme > comes at an awkward time for the Bush administration, which is locked > in negotiations at the UN for a tough resolution on arms inspections > of Iraq. According to Mr Dando, British and US research into > hallucinogenic weapons such as the gas BZ encouraged Iraq to look > into similar agents. "We showed them the way," he said. > > Mr Dando added that the US was currently working on "non-lethal" > weapons similar to the gas Russian forces used to break the Moscow > theatre siege. Those include "calmative" agent which are designed to > knock people out without killing them. > > "What happened in Moscow is a harbinger of what is to come," Mr Dando > said. "There is a revolution in life sciences which could be applied > in a major way to warfare. It's an early example of the mess we may > be creating." > > He added that Britain "is implicated as well", as the Pentagon's > Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate has worked with British officers > on its research. > > Jonathan Tucker, a chemical weapons expert at the US Institute for > Peace in Washington, said much of the work on non-lethal weapons was > being carried out by an institute under the US justice department but > was funded by the Pentagon. > > "They are trying to keep it at arms length, but it is problematic > especially for military purposes. The chemical weapons convention > makes a very clear distinction between riot control and > incapacitants," he said. > > While Mr Tucker believes that such knock-out gases are explicitly > banned under the treaty, Mr Dando and Mr Wheelis believe the Pentagon > has exploited a loophole that allows for such weapons for "law > enforcement purposes". > > But by blurring the edges of the treaty, they argue the US is > inviting other countries to do the same. The US, Mr Dando said, "runs > the very real danger of leading the world down a pathway that will > greatly reduce the security of all." > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---------- > > "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, it's > probably in Tennessee that says fool me once, shame on - shame on > you. Fool me, you can't get fooled again." - George W. Bush, Sept. > 17, 2002, Nashville, TN Yup, sounds like Dubya... <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
