SENATE POWDER TESTS POSITIVE FOR RICIN (Update -- 16 PEOPLE DECONTAMINATED)

AP Wire ^ | Feb. 3, 2004 | AP Wire

[petercooper]

hmmm... and where could someone get ricin?

maybe in iraq???

[Indie]

It's being buried that's for sure, from the highest levels. I think they know what's going to happen to Islamofascists in this country if we get hit again, and if they can cover it up, they will. So much for the safety of the "people." [us] Obviously we can not be trusted with the truth.

And the press are willing accomplices because they know there are no WMD's and they want to be sure it stays that way for their Rat candidates.

[Monty22]

Yep, despite Anthrax and now this, there are still 'no' threats from WMD's here. Apparently this has been mandated by the dems and the media, and so it will be.

Kinda sad how when the agenda doesn't fit reality, reality must be twisted to fit the agenda.

[browardchad]

hmmm... and where could someone get ricin? maybe in iraq???

THE CASTOR BEAN is a shrub-like herb with large, long-stemmed leaves that are lobed like fingers. Its spiny, clustered seed pods contain white, bean-like seeds (Botanically speaking, it isn't a true bean, but a Spurge), which typically bear attractive markings in various colours. The plant is native to tropical Africa, but it is grown commercially in California and has become naturalized throughout the southern United States. In Nova Scotia, it is often cultivated, in the warmer months, as an ornamental annual in gardens, providing local gardeners with a castor of thousands....

POISON TYPE:

Ricin, a poisonous protein, one of a group known as plant lectins. In the right amount & concentration, Ricin is said to be one of the most toxic natural poisons. It works by inhibiting the synthesis of more complex proteins in the intestinal wall, which in turn causes digestive distress. Castor Beans are traditionally cultivated as a basis of laxatives such as castor oil, which is also used as an ingredient of industrial lubricants, soaps, & varnishes.

[RightWingAtheist]

Obviously this is the work of a domestic, left-wing extremist.

Do you think the media will ever even admit to the existence of domestic left-wing terrorism? Even when they're blowing up SUVs and research labs, they're still just "activists" in their eyes.

[all4one]

The following is a BBC article from March 31, 2003:

US searches Iraq 'ricin' base

Link to Article

Thousands of Kurdish fighters assaulted the base US and Kurdish forces are searching a camp in north-eastern Iraq which the Americans claim was a militant hideout used to manufacture poisons, including ricin. The camp, which the Americans say belonged to Islamic radicals of the Ansar al-Islam group, lies in a Kurdish area near the border with Iran.

It was seized by US and Kurdish forces three days ago, following heavy attacks by coalition aircraft.

The US says Ansar al-Islam is closely linked to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

We are in there on the ground with lots of force, with some Kurdish help General Richard Myers. The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, said it could take a week to search the camp, which contained many tunnels.

He was unaware that any weapons of mass destruction had been found so far.

An undisclosed number of camp defenders were killed during the operation, while others were captured. General Myers said the bodies found there were neither Iraqi nor Iranian.

"We don't know for sure, but they're most likely al-Qaeda," he added.

A BBC Washington correspondent, Justin Webb, says a find of weapons of mass destruction would be enormously helpful to the coalition effort to convince the world of the necessity for the war in Iraq.

However, he adds that this particular base lies outside the area of Iraq which was fully controlled by Saddam Hussein before the war began.

Ricin is relatively easily made from castor beans. A few drops can kill.

[Huck]

It's weird. It does sort of seem like you can send poison to Congress, and the public doesn't give a damn. Maybe there's hope for the republic after all :->

[NeoCaveman]

Looks like if we don't find the WMD's, the WMD's will find us.

[freebilly]

It's weird. It does sort of seem like you can send poison to Congress, and the public doesn't give a damn. Maybe there's hope for the republic after all :->

Hey, with Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Scott Peterson, and Kobe Bryant to talk about who can focus on little stuff like ricin, anthrax, sarin and other WMDs...?

[js1138]

In a related story, Kerry says the terrorist threat is overblown.

And speaking of terrorists, isn't today that MyDoomB is supposed to shut down Microsoft?

[freebilly]

The stuff sent to the Connecticut post office was addressed to the RNC, according to reports I read.

There are Republicans in Connecticut...? There used to be one that I know of, then I moved out of the state....

[cyncooper]

MSNBC has been all over this story this morning. Every time I surf to Fox they have some nonsense story on, and I haven't seen CNN's coverage.

I haven't seen much on FR, either.

Will go look harder.

MSNBC reported about 15 minutes ago or so that hazmat suited police are in a room on the Senate side of the capitol building.

[SmokinDave]

1) History - After the last bio-chem attack we were told it couldn't be Islamists. The government spent a year and a half looking for everyone other then Islamists. They've still yet to find the culprit. However, the original anthrax mailings stopped at the same time we arrested/expelled everyone we could find with ties to Islamist terror. Looks like its taken them this long to set up for a major operation again. 2) The Target - Since a couple of liberal senators were amoung those targeted last time, the press claimed it must be the work of right wingers. Well, the Reps control the Senate, so who exactly is being targeted here? 3) Minor terror attacks continue, all Islamists - see the DC snipers and the LAX shooting. 4)Other warnings - We've just finished being off alert for an Islamist bio-chem attack on air planes when a bio-chem attack goes down in DC.

Okay, thanks. Although I do agree with your reasoning, I'm reminded of a newsgroup discussion I had, after 9/11, about airport security. As I stated back then, although we should keep a close eye on Muslims, to limit our suspicions only to Muslims could prove fatal. Remember, Tim McVeigh had nothing to do with the Islamic faith, and there are probably many born and bred Americans like him, who would love to repeat another tragedy like Oklahoma City. If we look only at Muslims whenever something like this happens, we're opening the door to "home-grown" terrorism. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

[swilhelm73]

I have no problem whatsoever of investigation of "homegrown" terrorism. As a matter of fact, I've also been complaining about the fact the the goverment doesn't take the likes of ELF/ALF seriously enough.

There is however a serious problem with such investigations in the US, as evidenced by the original anthrax investigation. They only ever focused on one man - Hatfill. And they did that after Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, a certifiable loon, convinced Leahy and H Clinton's staff it was him and the two senators pressured the FBI.

There never was a serious investigation into whether the anthrax mailings were the work of Islamists - at least by the FBI.*

And therefore the FBI still has no clue as to who the anthrax mailer(s) were.

We've also had denials for both LAX and the snipers that they were Islamist terror, again before those investigating could rationally make such a claim - even though both turned out to in fact be Islamist terror.

So, fine investigate the local Hatfill equivalent - but at the same time stop ruling out the most obvious culprits before you've investigated them...

*It is far from impossible that some other government organization (CIA?) that works rather less openly then the FBI found and dealt with the anthrax mailer.

However, the timeline of arrests and deportations of Islamists fits with the end of said mailings, so the most logical conclusion remains that we got the mailer(s) by accident in our post 9/11 round ups.

PS: My focus here is on Islamists - not Muslims in general, a rather important point that your use of the latter term may obscure.