THIS - scares the hell out of me!

[NetShrine]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/WTC_Investigation.html

Mohamed Atta, a suspected ringleader in the terror attacks on New York and Washington, made repeated visits to a crop-dusting airfield in Florida, according to Willie Lee, the chief pilot and general manager of South Florida Crop Care in Belle Glade.

Lee identified Atta to the FBI, telling agents the suspected hijacker came to the airfield as recently as the Saturday before the terrorist attacks, asking questions about the capabilities of crop-dusters, including how big a load of chemicals they could carry.

Atta was "very persistent about wanting to know how much the airplane will haul, how fast it will go, what kind of range it has," Lee told ABCNEWS.

"The guy kept trying to get in the airplane," Lee added, saying his ground crew chief had to order Atta away from one of the planes because he kept trying to climb onto the wing and into the cockpit.

Lee said Atta and as many as 12 or 15 other men appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent visited the airfield in groups of two or three on several weekends prior to the attacks, often taking pictures.

"Things like anthrax are easily transported, easily put into a solution that could be dispensed out of a crop-duster," says author and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ward Carroll.

Fearing terrorists planned or may still plan to do just that, federal authorities grounded crop-dusters — which can carry a much as 500 gallons of solution — near the nation's 30 biggest cities on Sunday.

A manual for a crop duster was found among the belongings of Zacarias Moussaoui, who has been detained since August and is now under arrest as a material witness, ABCNEWS has confirmed.

[ChrisCary]

We may be in very big trouble.

[NetShrine]

Sad part is - - you see a guy who doesn't exactly come across as Farmer John who's asking tons of questions like "How much can it hold?" and "How far can it travel?" and you don't think to set him up by saying "Come back tomorrow and we can talk much more and I'll really let you check it out" - - and then, when he shows up tomorrow, you and 40 Feds are there to talk to him.

Or, does this stuff not happen because, even if you do pull it off, the Feds won't show?

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by NetShrine
"Things like anthrax are easily transported, easily put into a solution that could be dispensed out of a crop-duster," says author and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ward Carroll.

Fearing terrorists planned or may still plan to do just that, federal authorities grounded crop-dusters — which can carry a much as 500 gallons of solution — near the nation's 30 biggest cities on Sunday.

Great - cities are OK. Meanwhile, it's very possible these bastards are spraying cow fields in Kansas with anthrax and the next Big Mac that I eat could be my last. Why can't we stop the bastards! :splat:

[Jen]

Who developed Anthrax?

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Jen
Who developed Anthrax?

The disease of anthrax infections has a long history with mankind. It is a bacterium that primarily effects grazing animals, such as sheep, cattle, goats and horses. Anthrax was known to ancient cultures, and is described to have killed 40,000 horses and 100,000 cattle in the possession of the Huns during their movement across Eurasia in 80 AD. As a considerable bane to the European livestock trade, throughout the 18th and 19th century, much effort was put into the identification and prevention of anthrax in animals. Anthrax (scientific name Bacillus anthracis) was the first microorganism identified as the cause of a specific disease by Dr. Robert Koch in 1876. Later that year Dr. Koch was growing Anthrax bacillus in his laboratory. Within the decade, Louis Pasteur for use in livestock developed a viable anthrax vaccine.

World War I saw the possible introduction of anthrax as a weapon against livestock and transportation animals. A clandestine biological research laboratory was set up in Baltimore, MD by the German government in 1915. A number of suspected uses of anthrax by the German government during World War I were alleged, but not well documented. Japan, Great Britain, and the United States all proceeded with research into the use of anthrax bacillus as a weapon in World War II. While no combatants used anthrax during this war, the Anthrax bacillus was both tested on animals and allied prisoners. Weapon delivery systems were also developed. The former Soviet Union also developed a biological research programme during the Cold War. The accidental release of anthrax from a secret bio-weapons research facility in Sverdlovsk, USSR resulted in the death of 66 of 77 diagnosed cases.

With the establishment of a biological weapons research facility in al-Hakim, Iraq, in 1988, concerns over the use of anthrax during the Persian Gulf War resulted in US troops to be vaccinated. It is not believed that anthrax was used by the Iraqi armed forces.

In 1993, the Aum Shrinkyo cult attempted to release anthrax spores in downtown Tokyo one month prior to the nerve gas attack. This incident marks the first instance of anthrax to be used as a weapon against a civilian population.

Anthrax as a Disease

Anthrax is caused by bacteria that are a rod shaped organism, Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is a non-motile organism between 1-5 micrometers in length. Upon exposure to air, anthrax forms a spore, which can become airborne to cause infection to exposed individuals. Anthrax spore can cause disease by coming in contact with abraded skin or wounds; inhalation; or ingestion. As anthrax reproduces, it releases three virulence factors: lethal factor, edema factor and antiphagocytic factor. Each of these substances enhances the destruction of cells and resists the immune system. Damage to the body depends on which organ system the anthrax spore colonizes. Antibiotics have long been used to treat skin anthrax and have been shown to be effective in the laboratory against the anthrax bacillus. While effective against the bacillus, antibiotics do not reduce the amount of virulence factor in victims. Even with antibiotic treatment, the virulence factors continue to cause damage within the body.

Skin (cutaneous) anthrax is a disease that starts with the spore colonizing the skin through an abrasion, cut or wound. After exposure to the spore, one to five days will pass before the presentation of symptoms (the incubation period). The disease starts as a small lesion, which grows into a puss-filled blister (a vesicle). The vesicle then turns coal black scab (an eschar). Symptoms include fever, malaise and headache. The eschar heals within two-three weeks with treatment. Mortality of cutaneous anthrax victims range from 20-25% without treatment, less than one percent with treatment.

Pulmonary anthrax starts with inhalation of anthrax spores. The US Army estimates that inhalation of 8,000-50,000 spores can cause infection. After an incubation period of one to seven days, an exposed individual develops flu-like symptoms {malaise, fatigue, myalgia (body ache), fever and non-productive cough} that persist for two to three days. After a levelling of symptoms or improvement, severe respiratory distress with symptoms of dyspnea (difficulty breathing), stridor (grating sound on inspiration that is associated with upper respiratory obstruction), cyanosis (bluish colour in skin due to lack of O2 exchange due to lung damage), increased chest pain, tachycardia (excessively rapid heart rate) and diaphoresis (excessive sweating) develop. Fifty percent of victims will develop meningitis. Within twenty-four to thirty-six hours, the victim experiences the rapid onset of shock and subsequent death. Inhalation anthrax has a mortality of 95-100% despite antibiotic treatment.

Ingestion anthrax has an incubation period of 2-5 days. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting fever and severe abdominal pain. Ingestion anthrax has a mortality of 95-100% despite antibiotic treatment.

[Jen]

Thanks Net. It is my firm belief that we should leave nature alone.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Net- give your source some credit. I've read your writing. That sure did not come from you.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by BuzzBuzzard
Net- give your source some credit. I've read your writing. That sure did not come from you.

Bite me Buzz!
I dunno, I got it off a google.com search - - some page somewhere...............:rolleyes:

[yankeesrule2000]

That is a scary thought...if one of those people got a hold of that stuff that would kill a lot of people....