Convicted Disease Doc Won't Be Charged in MIA Scare

NBC Miami ^ | September 3, 2010 | WILLARD SHEPARD and BRIAN HAMACHER

[La Lydia]

Scientist found with suspicious item at airport did prison time for plague sample flap -- A world-renowned Texas scientist specializing in infectious diseases who was once charged with smuggling dangerous samples of plague bacteria into the U.S. was questioned by authorities after a suspicious item found in his luggage caused a massive evacuation at Miami International Airport Thursday night. Dr. Thomas C. Butler, 70, was questioned by agents with the FBI and Miami-Dade police Friday after a suspicious item was found in his checked luggage by a MIA baggage screener Thursday night, sources told NBC Miami....

Friday, it was learned that Butler was released from questioning and won't be charged...Authorities escorted him back to one of the terminals at MIA where he's expected to board a plane to Puerto Rico, which was his destination Thursday night...Butler had been coming from Saudi Arabia when the suspicious item was spotted in his luggage as it went through customs.

Butler had been on the faculty at Texas Tech since the late 80s until his arrest in 2003 on charges of smuggling and improperly transporting the plague samples, as well as theft, embezzlement and fraud. Butler told police that 30 vials containing the samples had been stolen from his lab. He was eventually found guilty of exporting the vials of plague and stealing research money...He's currently listed as a faculty member at Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia.

[La Lydia]

This whole story creeps me out.

[A_Former_Democrat]

No kidding

“He’s currently listed as a faculty member at Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia.”

[TheThirdRuffian]

Bad link

[livius]

This guy sounds like seriously bad news. I wonder if he was just testing if it would be possible to get something like that into the US.

[La Lydia]

I also am creeped out at the idea of the Saudis having this guy and his “products” on hand, and that he can just get on a plane and fly around with canisters full of plague and whatever else.

[La Lydia]

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Convicted-Disease-Doc-Questioned-in-MIA-Scare-102151329.html

[piasa]

An outbreak of plague, which is considerd a potential bioweapon, among the Syrian military may be raising more questions than answers. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently ordered the shutdown of all Syrian military exercises due to a plague that currently affects a large number of military personnel, according to Examiner.com. The Syrian president has told Syrian news sources that food and drinking water in military bases, coupled with one of the country’s worst droughts in over 40 years, are responsible for the outbreak of plague. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are experiencing food shortages, nearly 60,000 small livestock owners have...
---------Mysterious plague outbreak among Syrian army, BioPrepWatch.com [http://www.bioprepwatch.com/news/213633-mysterious-plague-outbreak-among-syrian-army]| tue July 6, 2010 | Tina Redlup