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>From the London Times
November 15 1998
Israel planning 'ethnic' bomb as Saddam caves in
by Uzi Mahnaimi  and Marie Colvin

ISRAEL is working on a biological weapon that would harm
Arabs but not Jews, according to Israeli military and
western intelligence sources. The weapon, targeting
victims by ethnic origin, is seen as Israel's response
to Iraq's threat of chemical and biological attacks.
Yesterday Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, backed away
from the brink of war and agreed to resume co-operation
with the inspection teams seeking his suspected chemical
and biological weapons plants.

Kofi Annan, the United Nation secretary-general, said he
believed Iraq had met UN requirements. As Britain and
America stood by to bomb Saddam, however, Tony Blair's
office said compliance must be unconditional.

The White House, which is threatening Iraq with the
biggest onslaught since the Gulf war, said President
Bill Clinton's advisers were assessing whether Iraq's
offer was adequate. The Pentagon is ready to bomb within
days.

Last week Downing Street warned Labour MPs that Saddam
could be only weeks away from completing the
construction of offensive biological weapons mounted on
Scud missiles. Israel was hit by Scuds during the Gulf
war and fears it would be the prime target.

In developing their "ethno-bomb", Israeli scientists are
trying to exploit medical advances by identifying
distinctive genes carried by some Arabs, then create a
genetically modified bacterium or virus.
The intention is to use the ability of viruses and
certain bacteria to alter the DNA inside their host's
living cells. The scientists are trying to engineer
deadly micro-organisms that attack only those bearing
the distinctive genes.

The programme is based at the biological institute in
Nes Tziyona, the main research facility for Israel's
clandestine arsenal of chemical and biological weapons.
A scientist there said the task was hugely complicated
because both Arabs and Jews are of semitic origin. But
he added: "They have, however, succeeded in pinpointing
a particular characteristic in the genetic profile of
certain Arab communities, particularly the Iraqi
people." The disease could be spread by spraying the
organisms into the air or putting them in water
supplies.

The research mirrors biological studies conducted by
South African scientists during the apartheid era and
revealed in testimony before the truth and
reconciliation commission.

The idea of a Jewish state conducting such research has
already provoked outrage in some quarters because of
parallels with the genetic experiments of Dr Josef
Mengele, the Nazi scientist at Auschwitz.

Dedi Zucker, a member of knesset, the Israeli
parliament, denounced the research yesterday. "Morally,
based on our history, and our tradition and our
experience, such a weapon is monstrous and should be
denied," he said.

Some experts said that although the concept of an
ethnically targeted weapon was feasible, the practical
aspects of creating one were enormous.
Dr Daan Goosen, head of a South African chemical and
biological warfare plant, said his team was ordered in
the 1980s to develop a "pigmentation weapon" to target
only black people. He said the team discussed spreading
a disease in beer, maize or even vaccinations but never
managed to develop one.

However, a confidential Pentagon report warned last year
that biological agents could be genetically engineered
to produce new lethal weapons. William Cohen, the
American defence secretary, revealed that he had
received reports of countries working to create "certain
types of pathogens that would be ethnic-specific". A
senior western intelligence source confirmed last week
that Israel was one of the countries Cohen had in mind.

The "ethno-bomb" claims have been given further credence
in Foreign Report, a Jane's publication that closely
monitors security and defence matters. It reports
unnamed South African sources as saying Israeli
scientists have used some of the South African research
in trying to develop an "ethnic bullet" against Arabs.
It also says Israelis discovered aspects of the Arab
genetic make-up by researching on "Jews of Arab origin,
especially Iraqis".

The British Medical Association has become so concerned
about the lethal potential of genetically based
biological weapons that it has opened an investigation,
which is due to report in January.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, who organised the research, said:
"With an ethnically targeted weapon, you could even hit
groups within a population. The history of warfare, in
which many conflicts have an ethnic factor, shows us how
dangerous this could be."

Porton Down, Britain's biological defence establishment,
said last week that such weapons were theoretically
possible. "We have reached a point now where there is an
obvious need for an international convention to control
biological weapons," said a spokesman.
Additional reporting: Matthew Campbell in Washington,
Hugh McManners
=====================================================
==============The Uncensored National Rumor===============
=====================================================

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