[NetBehaviour] bulking up on anthrax...

[Ryan Griffis]

Forward Message:

>
> [COMMENT:  I don't have the rest of this article.  No subscription,
> sigh.  Sterne is a vaccine strain of B. anthracis.  The
> solicitations, including the portable crematorium testing (hence the
> sheep carcasses), can be seen at http://www.fedbizopps.gov by
> searching for the keyword "Dugway" on active and archived documents.
> Maybe Citizen's Ed Project wants to post them online?  - EH ]
>
>
> New Scientist
> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg18725184.800
>
> US army plans to bulk-buy anthrax
>
> 	*	24 September 2005
> 	*	David Hambling
> 	*	Magazine issue 2518
>
> The controversial move is likely to raise questions over US
> commitment to treaties designed to limit the spread of biological
> weapons
>
> THE US military wants to buy large quantities of anthrax, in a
> controversial move that is likely to raise questions over its
> commitment to treaties designed to limit the spread of biological
> weapons.
>
> 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. Issued earlier this year, the contracts were
> discovered by Edward Hammond, director of the Sunshine Project, a
> US-German organisation that campaigns against the use of biological
> and chemical weapons.
>
> One "biological services" contract specifies: "The company must have
> the ability and be willing to grow Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain
> at 1500-litre quantities." Other contracts are for fermentation
> equipment for producing 3000-litre batches of an unspecified
> biological agent, and sheep carcasses to ...