LONDON-Britain has placed all ports of entry on alert for Iraqi biological weapons after intelligence sources warned of a plot to smuggle lethal anthrax in bottles of perfume and alcohol.
"We can confirm that an all-ports warning has been circulated," said an aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The British warning advised port officials to be on alert for anything that could contain the anthrax virus--a drop of which could kill millions.*
"Iraq may launch chemical and biological attack using material disguised as harmless fluids. Could officers, therefore, be alert for any items which might contain harmful substances," said the warning issued by Britain's Home Office.
"Attention should be given to containers of any size containing liquids with specific characteristics."
Blair's office said there is no evidence the plot was carried out.
"A threat may have been made--obviously that has to be taken seriously but we do not believe there is cause for alarm," the aide said.
The document disclosed that Iraq was plotting to smuggle large quantities of anthrax into "hostile countries" inside bottles of spirits, cosmetics, cigarette lighters and perfume sprays.
Canada joined Britain and the U.S. in threatening to use force during the showdown with Saddam over weapons inspections, and sent a warship to the Persian Gulf.
In Ottawa, however, department of foreign affairs spokesman
Sophie Legendre said late Monday: "We are not aware of an
existing threat and have not been advised by any of our NATO
partners of such a threat."
(text of March 24, 1998 Vancouver Sun front-page article)
*-THE POPULATION OF VANCOUVER (WHERE I LIVE) AND ITS SUBURBS, ACCORDING TO 1998 ESTIMATES, IS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION PEOPLE.
MY NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY DESK REFERENCE (SECOND EDITION) LISTS THE POPULATION OF ARKANSAS AS 2,372,000.
ROUGHLY ONE DROP OF THIS WEAPON COULD WIPE OUT THE POPULATION OF EITHER.
WHILE THE ENORMITY OF THIS STATEMENT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, I MIGHT ADD HERE THAT ONE EXPERT ON THESE WEAPONS I SAW ON TELEVISION AT THE TIME OF THIS NEWS REPORT IN MARCH, 1998 STATED THAT THE POPULATION OF BRITAIN “COULD BE KILLED WITH THE CONTENTS OF A PERFUME BOTTLE.”
MY 1997 CANADIAN GLOBAL ALMANAC LISTS THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM (GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND) AS 58,295,119 PEOPLE, BASED ON A JULY, 1995 ESTIMATE.
DON'T THINK THE WISDOM OF THOMAS JEFFERSON IS PASSÉ YET IN WHAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO FROM YOUR GOVERNMENT? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD: TAKE A BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE TO SIGN MY GUESTBOOK.
BUT HOW IS AMERICA RESPONDING TO THIS POTENTIAL THREAT, YOU MAY ASK?
WELL, OF COURSE, BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN POLITICAL PARTIES ARE PUSHING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO DEPLOY AN ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM THAT WILL, PRESUMABLY, READ THE MINDS OF POTENTIAL TERRORISTS AND ZAP THEM BEFORE THEY LET THE "DROP" OF ANTHRAX FREE INTO THE AIR, EITHER AFTER SMUGGLING (OR CREATING) THE BIOLOGICAL WEAPON IN AMERICA ITSELF--OR ANYWHERE ON EARTH WHERE AMERICA HAS INTERESTS: ITS DIPLOMATS, MILITARY, OR BUSINESS CONCERNS, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE COUNTRIES OF ITS ALLIES...OR NOT.
IT'S HARD TO DISCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY THAT A SUCCESSFUL ACT OF TERRORISM ON A MASS SCALE IN AND OF ITSELF ANYWHERE HANDY TO THE TERRORIST(S) WOULD MAKE THE POINT AND LINGER IN THE MEMORIES OF "ALL OF US" WHO WITNESS IT.
...AND PERHAPS IT HAS HAPPENED ALREADY.
CONSIDER WHAT YOU FIND IF YOU TAKE A BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE.
CONSIDER WHAT YOU FIND IF YOU TAKE A BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE.
CONSIDER WHAT YOU FIND IF YOU the hot zone author thingTAKE A BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE.
AND THEN THERE IS TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU FIND IF YOU anthrax 2000 thing.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD LET DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN WEIGH IN ON THIS.
TO CONSIDER AN OP-ED PIECE BY HIM ON THE SUBJECT, TAKE YOUR NEXT FOOTSTEP HERE.
COMFORTED?
THEN TAKE YOUR NEXT FOOTSTEP HERE.