Posted on 04/19/2003 8:39:00 PM PDT by Pokey78
S. African Scientist Offers U.S. Agents Cache of Man-Made Pathogens
First of two articles
PRETORIA, South Africa -- Daan Goosen's calling card to the FBI was a vial of bacteria he had freeze-dried and hidden inside a toothpaste tube for secret passage to the United States.
From among hundreds of flasks in his Pretoria lab, the South African scientist picked a man-made strain that was sure to impress: a microbial Frankenstein that fused the genes of a common intestinal bug with DNA from the pathogen that causes the deadly illness gas gangrene.
"This will show the Americans what we are capable of," Goosen said at the time.
On May 6, 2002, Goosen slipped the parcel into the hands of a retired CIA officer who couriered the microbes 8,000 miles for a drop-off with the FBI. If U.S. officials liked what they saw, Goosen said he was prepared to offer much more: An entire collection of pathogens developed by a secret South African bioweapons research program Goosen once headed.
Goosen's extraordinary offer to the FBI, outlined in documents obtained by The Washington Post and interviews with key participants, promised scores of additional vials containing the bacteria that cause anthrax, plague, salmonella and botulism, as well as antidotes for many of the diseases. Several strains, like the bacterial hybrid in the toothpaste tube, had been genetically altered, a technique used by weapons scientists to make diseases harder to detect and defeat. All were to be delivered to the U.S. government for safekeeping and to help strengthen U.S. defenses against future terrorism attacks.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
They were working on anthrax antitoxin.
Or, as in Japan's case, it can come from a terrorist organization that wants to be recognized.
Thanks for flagging me to this article, it has quite a bit of fascinating information. On the other hand it could almost be a press release for Goosen's desire to make some big bucks on the side.
He couldn't have asked for better publicity, could he?
To others familiar with the anthrax and bioweapons scene: Was there not a physician/research lab executive in Southern California (Irvine?) who committed suicide within the past 6-8 months? And was not this person from South Africa and were there not rumors of involvement in bioweapons and possible trading in same?
Would there, perchance, be a connection?
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