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To: Shermy; keri; Nogbad; The Great Satan; okie01; aristeides; muawiyah; Alamo-Girl; right_to_defend...
See the LA Times article "New Crop-Dusting Restrictions Weighed", from Sept. 25, 2001. [Click on the link to read the whole article.]

Here are four of the points I found of particular interest [paraphrased], and a question:

Here's the question: Has anybody seen figures on the size of the particles in the anthrax mailed to Sen. Leahy (which was said to be finer than any previously known)?
8 posted on 05/17/2002 8:48:06 PM PDT by Mitchell
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To: Mitchell
No one knows what size the anthrax particles were when mailed - only what they were when received.

This stuff was so finely separated that we have had reports that it was down to a single spore!

Ken Abilek has suggested that highspeed mail processing equipment may have ground the powder even finer. Letters start and stop repeatedly, at high speeds, in this equipment. It only makes sense that this would affect the contents.

9 posted on 05/17/2002 8:56:45 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Mitchell
Recognize also that cropdusting equipment presumes the active ingredients will be dissolved in some liquid medium (e.g., water) in order to properly disperse the contents.

The dilution rate for tractor drawn spraying equipment is in the order of 30:1. In aerial spraying, the dilution rate is something less (5 or 10:1). Accordingly, whatever is to be sprayed will be a.) in liquid format and b.) diluted with water (or some other solvent).

These conditions may or may not be conducive to anthrax in coated powder form. But they may be particularly suitable to some other biological or chemical agent.

14 posted on 05/17/2002 11:00:07 PM PDT by okie01
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To: Mitchell
The use of aircraft (e.g. crop dusters) is one way to deploy chemical and biological weapons. But as has been correctly noted in this tread it can be complicated based on the type and quality of agent, nozzle technology (often a big problem), wind and other factors which may degrade the effect. The point is that al-Qaeda was clearly investigating this. Whether it is an effective terrorist method or whether or not it was ultimately used is another matter.
15 posted on 05/18/2002 12:18:27 AM PDT by Ordinary_American
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