Check this out: http://www.msnbc.com/news/279578.asp "Government officials say Russia, Iraq and North Korea are probably concealing the deadly smallpox virus for military use, The New York Times reported on Sunday. A secret federal intelligence assessment was completed late last year. The assessment was based on evidence that includes disclosures by a senior Soviet defector, blood samples from the North Korean soldiers that show smallpox vaccinations and the fairly recent manufacture of smallpox vaccine by Iraq, according to the report."
"Government officials say Russia, Iraq and North Korea are probably concealing the deadly smallpox virus for military use..." I bet Russian, Iraqi and North Korean newspapers are reporting exactly the same thing about U.S., Britain, etc. etc. It's not a conspiracy; it's only another component of the global arms race. ------------------ I am; therefore I think.
Hence the inclusion of 'paranoia' in the forum name, in an attempt to broaden the scope of this forum beyond simple conspiracies. The proliferation of nuclear & conventional weapons is one thing. Biological weapons are entirely different. Biological weapons entirely unpredictable, and can get out of control very easily. [This message has been edited by DaveW (edited June 13, 1999).]
Smallpox was supposedly eradicated back in the 80's. The only surviving samples of the virus are stored in Moscow and Atlanta. So if the reports are correct, I'll bet the labs at USAAMRID are going full tilt, too. So much for the treaties we signed in the 70's.
I saw a documentary on the Russian biological weapons program last year. A senior defector told of a smallpox/anthrax cross ( they may not be the exact diseases) that was totally resistant to available vaccines!!! Some of the other stories this defector told were nothing short on frightening..telling of some of the disgusting diseases/germs they were creating/breeding. I hope for the sake of the entire world it doesn't come to some nasty entity using these sorts of germ warfare developments on their enemies!!!
The major problem is, of course, that no one receives pox vaccines anymore. And of course, the vaccine is only effective if administered well-before (a few months) exposure. So, anyone hoping to kill large numbers of people would have several months time to do so uninhibited, before vaccine production reaches full-tilt (give a few months for that) and before anyone has effective immunity to the pathogen. That being said, it's entirely possible to engineer a strain of pox that is uninhibited by vaccine-antibodies, in which case a new vaccine would have to be devised (this could take years).
One bad thing about Russia is that military and other structures are very bad paid and thats why you can never know who is the true commander of some divisions or who pays for the biological weapons. Russian government is instable and fighting against each other. After the end of USSR many scientists and biological weapons left Russia and noone knows where are those weapons now. So, if we talk about Russian biological weapons, they can be everywhere in the world, maybe somwhere near to you or me.
These very disturbing bits of news bring up a very good point. As an American living abroad, I'm often asked why do the States continue to come to Russia's financial help when they are constanting thumbing their noses at us (e.g. recent spitting matches in Kosovo). My answer is that it is in our best interest to have a financially strong Russia (or N. Korea and *gulp* Iraq). Yelstin is most likely a vokda-pickled looney, but at least he is a vodka-pickled looney that seems to have no interest in banging his foot on the table and threatening to bury us. Looming behind him are some very powerful figures waiting to be the next leader; these distinguished gentlemen have little or no interest in friendly relations with the Western World (read USA). All we need is a financial crisis to swing the power away from good relations with Mother Russia. I mean, when in the history of the world have major governments been overthrown in times of economic prosperity? We should really help these countries that are dangerous (with humanitarian or economic aid) if we want to avoid problems. Look at the Mitchell plan and compare it to the aftershock of WWI in Germany. -Bitsy ------------------ Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. -Mark Twain
