Obama in, my pick, McCain supports a Military draft

I attended last night’s Obama Town Hall in Raleigh and I have to say while I do not feel it was one of his strongest speeches, seeing the man in person is something I hope everyone gets a chance to experience. The energy in the crowd was one of excitement and desire, a desire for change and [...]

Army Secretary orders review of USAMRIID at Fort Detrick

Anthrax case raises concerns about highly secure programs
Source: Greg Carlstrom - The FederalTimes.com
Bruce Ivins, the biologist suspected of sending anthrax-laced letters to politicians and journalists in 2001, began showing signs of mental illness as far back as 2000 — but he was allowed to access sensitive research facilities until as recently as last year.
And that [...]

Pandora’s Pandemic Box

Over the past year people concerned about the research to be conducted at the National Bio Agro Defense Facility have been called alarmist, chicken little and NIMBY’s by the proponents of the NBAF for questioning the lab’s true purpose. Think about it common sense says, why would the US government spend three-fourths of a billion dollars on a facility to study [...]

The Killers in the Lab

Source: By Elisa D. Harris, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation National Advisory Board
The government’s charge that Dr. Bruce Ivins, a top Army biodefense scientist, was responsible for the 2001 anthrax mailings has focused renewed attention on the important question of whether we are adequately prepared to protect against a future bioweapons attack. More than [...]

Athens NBAF meeting, some oppose others argue need

Source: Ken Foskett - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A polite crowd of about 200 people filled a University of Georgia auditorium Thursday to register support and opposition to a proposed animal research facility under consideration at UGA and sites in five other states.
The Department of Homeland Security will select the site of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility later [...]

Conn. Attorney General vows to fight NBAF on Plum Island

Correction: Oops my bad, Blumenthal is Connecticut’s AG not NY.
Source: StamfordPlus.com
Attorney General fights proposed Plum Island lab that would study deadliest animal and human diseases
By Attorney General’s office
Aug 14, 2008
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced that his office is preparing formal comments to fight a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal to develop a Level 4 [...]

Good Luck Athens,last show of the tour

Today is the DHS DEIS meeting in Athens, Georgia. (Good luck to all ) In preparation for the meeting the local politico’s apparently wanted to express to everyone how tough they really are and how supportive they are for the NBAF project.
Athens Commissioner Doug Lowry said he “thinks the politicians who’ve reversed their positions are a bunch of pansies”. Um, I don’t [...]

Terror suspect list included Plum Island,Biological and Chemical Weapons

The NBAF won’t be a terrorist target? Not according to this article.
Watch the female Bin Laden
Terror suspect had New York target list
Source: ABC News - By RICHARD ESPOSITO and BRIAN ROSS
When she was arrested in Afghanistan last month, Aafia Siddique allegedly had in her possession maps of New York, a list of potential targets that [...]

NBAF in NC $226,289,729 short

Homeland Security has released more documents relating to the NBAF. These documents are redacted and most meaningful content has been removed, ie. cost and any transparency. However, the total cost of the North Carolina location is said to be $677,289,729 (see page 51 of the NBAF Site Cost Analysis). If DHS expects to spend $451 million, then somebody needs [...]

Durham 4-1 says No to NBAF,will ask Consortium to withdraw NC

Durham Commissioners nix NBAF
Source: Lisa Sorg - Independent Weekly
The next coffin nail was hammered into the proposed National Bio and Agro Defense Facility Monday night when Durham County Commissioners voted 4-1 to oppose the federal disease lab that could be sited in Butner.
The commission also took a stronger step of passing a resolution to draft [...]