Botulinum 'is WMD' ??

October 4, 2003

OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM

Botulinum 'is WMD'

State Department spokesman: Lethal bio-toxin 'kills people, it kills people

in large quantities'

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34917

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Posted: October 4, 2003

1:00 a.m. Eastern

The vial of botulinum bacteria discovered in Iraq by U.S. arms inspectors –

which experts call the most poisonous substance known to man – is " a weapon

of mass destruction, " the State Department's top spokesman announced

yesterday.

" Botulinum kills people, it kills people in large quantities. Botulinum is a

weapon of mass destruction, yes, " said State spokesman Richard Boucher, "

according to an Agence France-Presse report. " Anything that destroys on a

massive scale is a weapon of mass destruction. "

The botulinum had been stored in a vial discovered in an Iraqi scientist's

refrigerator, where it had been stored for safe keeping since 1993.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell told the press the

report on ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's weapons program, just

released by the government's lead weapons inspector David Kay, justified the

decision to invade Iraq.

Kay's " interim assessment " described discoveries of illicit arms programs,

as well as evidence Saddam was intent on developing weapons of mass

destruction, including chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, despite

United Nations prohibitions.

When reporters grilled Powell as to whether he thought weapons inspectors'

efforts would ever yield " weapons of mass destruction, " Powell replied

rhetorically: " Do you think vials of botulinum should constitute a weapon of

mass destruction? "

And President George Bush, before boarding Marine One, claimed the Kay

report vindicated the Iraqi war effort:

" The report states that Saddam Hussein's regime had a clandestine network of

biological laboratories, a live strain of deadly agent botulinum,

sophisticated concealment efforts and advanced design work on prohibited

longer-range missiles, " said Bush. " These findings already make clear that

Saddam Hussein actively deceived the international community, that Saddam

Hussein, was in clear violation of United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1441 and that Saddam Hussein was a danger to the world. "

The president added that Kaye's " Iraq Survey Group " discovered " dozens of

WMD (weapons of mass destruction)-related program activities and significant

amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations during the

inspections that began in 2002. " He added that Kay and his team found

" systematic destruction of evidence of these illegal activities. "

The Bush administration had relied on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441

as a legal basis for the March invasion. The resolution threatened the

Saddam Hussein regime with " serious consequences " for failing to demonstrate

that it had ended its WMD program.

Weeks before the invasion, on Feb. 5, Powell laid out the case against

Saddam before the Security Council and the world, during which he referred

to Iraq's biological weapons programs and its capability of producing deadly

botulinum and other toxins.

" There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the

capability to rapidly produce more, many more, " Powell said, pointing out

Iraq had admitted to producing botulinum. " And he has the ability to

dispense these lethal poisons and diseases in ways that can cause massive

death and destruction. "

Noting that the vial of live botulinum bacteria had been hidden in an Iraqi

scientist's home refrigerator, Kay, testifying before Congress, said the

discovery " illustrates the point ... about the difficulty of locating small

stocks of material that can be used to covertly surge production of deadly

weapons. "

According to Agence France-Presse, the Center for Civilian Bio-defense

Strategies at Johns Hopkins University says: " Botulinum toxin is the single

most poisonous substance known " and " poses a major bioweapons threat because

of its extreme potency and lethality, its ease of production, transport and

misuse, and the potential need for prolonged intensive care in affected

persons. "

Kay, a veteran former U.N. weapons inspector, says the investigation he is

leading involves over 1,200 staffers, and is likely to take another six to

nine months. He asked reporters for " time and patience in the answers you

really deserve, " noting that the regime of Saddam Hussein had " engaged in

extensive deceptions. "

In fact, said Kay, his team has found signs that arms may have been moved

out of the country before Saddam's fall.

When reporters asked Kay at a telephone press conference whether chemical or

biological weapons had been moved out of Iraq before the March invasion,

reports AFP, the lead inspector replied: " We have multiple reports from

Iraqis of substances being moved across borders. " He added: " We've got

information indicating movement to Iran, Syria, Jordan, essentially all

states that border the north with Iraq, that's not surprising those routes

have been long used. At least with regard to Syria and Jordan, certainly

senior Iraqi officials, both military and scientific, moved to both

countries pre-conflict and during the conflict, and some immediately after

the conflict. "

Earlier this week, biological and chemical weapons turned up in Kuwait,

according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassah.

The pro-government daily reported Kuwaiti security forces foiled an

attempted smuggling of $60 million worth of chemical weapons and biological

warheads from Iraq to an unnamed European country. Citing an unnamed

security source, Al-Siyassah said the smugglers had been under surveillance

since they arrived in Kuwait and were arrested " in due time. "

October 5, 2003

The Bush Regime probably PLANTED vial to be FOUND