5 more in Florida, and 1 more at a Microsoft building. I think it's safe to say that avioding the word 'terrorism' is gonna become more and more difficult.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Now the question becomes, international or internal terrorism?
Posted by MIB (Member # 426) on :
My guess is internal. My mother pointed out that something as petty as sending a few letters to a few random people with the hopes that they will die via Anthrax exposure is not exactly Bin Laden's style. If he wanted to use bio-terrorism, he'd grab a can of Anthrax and have one of his goons deploy it in a highly populated building's ventilation system.
Posted by Tec (Member # 136) on :
Good point and it makes more sense then what we are seeing. This is probably some lunatics with delusions of terrorism trying to be cool in the big boys play ground. We'll just have to wait and see though.
Posted by Veers (Member # 661) on :
Same here. It's some crackpot guy. Although, I can't explain the Malaysia connection...
Posted by Tahna Los (Member # 33) on :
If only a can of Anthrax is easy to obtain.
Then again, maybe it is.
I read that initial symptoms of Anthrax resembles the flu. By the time it reaches the stages of symptoms resembling Meningitis and Pneumonia, it is already too late.
This is especially bad since flu season is almost here. Toronto is instituting an immunization campaign to combat the flu.
Anthrax is not the only problem. Another concern is Smallpox, which was eradicated quite a while ago due to efficient vaccination programs. Now Smallpox is all but non-existant, but so is the vaccine. The things that some people are saying is that if smallpox were to be used, we would be totally helpless as we basically threw away the means to combat this disease. It takes time to develop a vaccine, and by that time, the virus would be out of control.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Don't we still have the records of what the vaccine was? I mean, it's not like we have to go around figuring out what exactly counter-acts smallpox, we just have to mix up the ingrediants.
Posted by MIB (Member # 426) on :
If I remember correctly, the small pox vaccine was made from dead small pox viruses. These dead viruses would be injected into the human body to "teach" your immune system how to recognize live small pox viruses without you getting ill. So you see, you can't just whip up a vaccine. You need some dead small pox viruses. And we won't have enough of it if we find ourselves in need of a crash immunization campaign.
[ October 15, 2001: Message edited by: MIB ]
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Yeah, I think that's right. Cowpox works, too. Maybe we should execute a preemptive biological strike and release cowpox into our own water supply. Bingo! No more threat of smallpox. Posted by MIB (Member # 426) on :
LOL I was listening to a post ofice rep. speaking about the spread of anthrax on MSNBC. She stated, and I quote, "This is not what the U.S. mail was inteded for!" hehe. I thought the U.S. would be there whenever you wanted to spread deadly spores! I guess not though. Damn it. Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Aren't the last remaining smallpox viri locked in safes in the US and Russia? I remember hearing that a long time ago...
Posted by MIB (Member # 426) on :
Yes, they are, but there can be plenty of small pox around that nobody knows about. Hence the huge problem we will have if some how, somewhere, some crack pot get's his/her hands on some small pox.
[ October 15, 2001: Message edited by: MIB ]
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
The U.S. and Russia are the only nations that have registered their stockpiles. It is always possible that other nations or extranational groups have hidden stores of their own, though.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I don't think that bin Laben is behind the Anthrax cases like other people think. A few weeks ago people where skeptical whether he had enough power and orginization to hijack 4 planes at the same time. Saddam Huesien is a repeat offender for chem/bio warfare, i'd be more surprized to see bin laden claiming to be behind the anthrax ( i havn't watched the news that closely for a week, so if he has plz correct me) than Saddam heusien. He may have decided to strike at america at this time since they'd be paying more attention to Afganistan (is there an H in there somewheres?). i shoulkd start a new thread bout this little idea
