-Caveat Lector- http://www.msnbc.com/news/321786.asp Terrorist link to virus downplayed Officials call encephalitis outbreak 'Mother Nature at work' ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK, Oct. 11 - The CIA looked into rumors that the recent encephalitis outbreak was the work of terrorists and concluded it wasn't, an agency official said Monday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there's no evidence Iraq or any other foreign government was involved in the outbreak. Symptoms of the strain include fever and headache. In rare cases, the virus can cause neurological disorders and death. The elderly, young and those with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable. THE CIA "looked into rumors which appeared in British media and elsewhere," the official said. City officials also downplayed any suggestions of bioterrorism. "Nothing indicates that this was anything other than a natural outbreak," Jerome Hauer, the director of the city's emergency management office, said Sunday. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said there was no evidence to suggest the recent outbreak was anything other than "Mother Nature at work." Analysts at the CIA who deal with biological weapons said an Iraqi defector had claimed in April that Saddam Hussein was developing a strain of West Nile-like encephalitis for use as a biological weapon, The New Yorker reported in its Oct. 18-25 double issue that hit newsstands today. APRIL 6 REPORT The report recalled by the analysts was published April 6 in the Daily Mail of London. It was an except from the book "In the Shadow of Saddam," written by Mikhael Ramadan. Ramadan claimed that he worked as one of Hussein's body doubles and that Hussein had told him of a plan to develop a strain of West Nile encephalitis that would kill 97 percent of people in an urban environment. The magazine said Ramadan was believed to be hiding somewhere in Canada or the United States. A strain of a West Nile-like virus has claimed the lives of six people in the New York area since it was discovered in early September. The mosquito-borne virus has infected 54 people in the New York metropolitan area - 39 in New York City, nine in Westchester county and six in Nassau. Symptoms of the strain include fever and headache. In rare cases, the virus can cause neurological disorders and death. The elderly, young and those with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable. © 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ======================= Robert F. Tatman Computer Help Desk Desktop & LAN Services Systems Department Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 215.854.2729 215.854.2788 The contents of this message represent the opinion only of the writer, and may not be construed to indicate the endorsement of Knight-Ridder, Inc.; Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc.; The Philadelphia Inquirer; or the Philadelphia Daily News. "Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity." DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections 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, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== 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
