Mark Gobell
On Gardening Leave
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 4529
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 Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:52 pm Post subject: Al Q Balsamic Bomb plot uncovered in US |
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Think before you tuck in to your next bowl of salad - the balsamic could be a bomb ...
You might think it looks like black pepper but ...
Careful, that vinaigrette could be volatile ...
| Quote: | NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2010
Latest Terror Threat in US Aimed to Poison Food
Exclusive: The Dept. of Homeland Security Uncovered a Plot to Attack Hotels and Restaurants Over a Single Weekend
By Armen Keteyian
* Play CBS Video Video New Terror Threat Targets U.S. Food
CBS News Exclusive: The latest terror threat to America involves the possible use of poisons aimed at food in hotels and restaurants over a single weekend. Armen Keteyian reports.
Department of Homeland Security officials uncovered a plot by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to poison food at hotels and restaurants in the United States. (CBS)
(CBS) In this exclusive story, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports the latest terror attack to America involves the possible use of poisons - simultaneous attacks targeting hotels and restaurants at many locations over a single weekend.
A key Intelligence source has confirmed the threat as "credible." Department of Homeland Security officials, along with members of the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, have briefed a small group of corporate security officers from the hotel and restaurant industries about it.
"We operate under the premise that individuals prepared to carry out terrorist acts are in this country," said Dec. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Dec. 6, 2010.
The plot uncovered earlier this year is said to involve the use of two poisons - ricin and cyanide - slipped into salad bars and buffets.
Of particular concern: The plotters are believed to be tied to the same terror group that attempted to blow up cargo planes over the east coast in October, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
In online propaganda al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has praised the cargo attack, part of what it called "Operation Hemorrhage."
The propaganda says in part, "...attacking the enemy with smaller but more frequent operations" to "add a heavy economic burden to an already faltering economy."
Manuals and videos on jihadist websites explain how to easy it is to make both poisons.
"Initially it would look very much like food poisoning," said St. John's University professor of pharmaceutical sciences Dr. Susan Ford.
She showed how little of each poison could be fatal by putting a small amount of poison in cups.
Armen Keteyian: Are these dosages enough to really harm someone or kill someone?
Susan Ford: Yes, these are 250 milligrams and that is the fatal dose.
Keteyian: So just that much sodium cyanide is enough to kill me?
Ford: Yes, it is.
That leads to a difficult debate: The need to inform the public without alarming it.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said, "A threat you might feel is sufficiently specific and credible to tell the people who are professionally involved might not be specific or credible enough to tell the general public."
Chertoff says it's important to let public health officials know that what looks like food poisoning could be a terrorist attack.
On Monday Dept. of Homeland Security spokesman Sean Smith said, "We are not going to comment on reports of specific terrorist planning. However, the counterterrorism and homeland security communities have engaged in extensive efforts for many years to guard against all types of terrorist attacks, including unconventional attacks using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials. Indeed, Al-Qa'ida has publicly stated its intention to try to carry out unconventional attacks for well over a decade, and AQAP propaganda in the past year has made similar reference.
"Finally, we get reports about the different kinds of attacks terrorists would like to carry out that frequently are beyond their assessed capability."
The fact remains the government and hospitality industries are on alert.
Video: New Terror Threat Targets U.S. Food
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| Quote: | "... the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year about 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens, or disease-causing substances, in food. Of these people, about 5,000 die."
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/bacteria/ |
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he doesn't exist, said: "we have no idea how many runny tummies are down to Al Qaeda, it's just something we can't measure until the new Al-Qaediobacter scanners become available..."
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The Medium is the Massage - Marshall McLuhan. |
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Mark Gobell
On Gardening Leave
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 4529
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| Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:18 am Post subject: |
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Just reading this follow up at CNN which refers to a previous Salmonella contamination in 1985 of salad bars in Oregon, attributed to the followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Obviously, nowadays, this is categorised as the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack.
Like so many other "terrorist" plots, it seems this scare story is simply re-cycling a previous event.
Colin Powell also raised the spectre of poisons in his speech to the UN in February 2003 as part of the faux hysteria used to ramp up support for invading Iraq - referring to the non-existent ricin plot in the UK.
Apparently, earlier this year, the Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council held a "table top" exercise, or role-playing drill, in which the government and industry practiced responses to a fictional incident involving "intentional contamination" of food.
The media or Homeland inSecurity, or both, then turn that into an Al Qaeda terror plot.
Naturally.
Pass the mayo old chap ....
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The Medium is the Massage - Marshall McLuhan. |
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