@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 Sender: Activists Mailing List <•••@••.•••> From: Larry + Jennie <•••@••.•••> Organization: InterAccess,Chicagoland's Full Service Internet Provider Subject: U.S. Biological War Exports to Iraq U.S. Bio War Tech to Iraq Excerpts from: "U.S. CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE-RELATED DUAL USE EXPORTS TO IRAQ AND THEIR POSSIBLE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF THE PERSIAN GULF WAR" A Report of Chairman Donald W. Riegle, Jr. and Ranking Member Alfonse M. D'Amato of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with respect to Export Administration, United States Senate, May 25, 1994 (Pages 36 to 38) *U.S. Exports of Biological Materials to Iraq* The Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs has oversight responsibility for the Export Administration Act. Pursuant to the Act, Committee staff contacted the U.S. Department of Commerce and requested information on the export of biological materials during the years prior to the Gulf War. After receiving this information, we contacted a principal supplier of these materials to determine what, if any, materials were exported to Iraq which might have contributed to an offensive or defensive biological warfare program. Records available from the supplier for the period from 1985 until the present show that during this time, pathogenic (meaning "disease producing"), toxigenic (meaning "poisonous"), and other biological research materials were exported to Iraq pursuant to application and licensing by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Records prior to 1985 were not available, according to the supplier. these exported biological materials were not attenuated or weakened and were capable of reproduction. According to the Department of Defense's own "Report to Congress on the Conduct of the Persian Gulf War," released in April, 1992: "By the time of the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq had developed biological weapons. It's advanced and aggressive biological warfare program was the most advanced in the Arab world... The program probably began late in the 1970's and concentrated on the development of two agents, botulinum toxin and anthrax bacteria... Large scale production of these agents began in 1989 at four facilities near Baghdad. Delivery means for biological agents ranged from simple aerial bombs and artillery rockets to surface-to-surface missiles." Included in the approved sales are the following biological materials (which have been considered by various nations for use in war), with their associated disease symptoms: *Bacillus Anthracis* anthrax is a disease-producing bacteria identified by the Department of Defense in "The Conduct of the Persian Gulf War: Final Report to Congress," as being a major component in the Iraqi biological warfare program. Anthrax is an often-fatal infectious disease due to ingestion of spores. It begins abruptly with high fever, difficulty in breathing and chest pain. The disease eventually results in septicemia (blood poisoning) and the mortality is high. Once septicemia is advanced, antibiotic therapy may prove useless, probably because the exotoxins remain, despite the death of the bacteria. *Clostridium Botulinum* a bacterial source of botulinum toxin, which causes vomiting, constipation, thirst, general weakness, headache, fever, dizziness, double vision, dilation of the pupils and paralysis of the muscles involving swallowing. It is often fatal. *Histoplasma Capsulatum* causes a disease superficially resembling tuberculosis that may cause pneumonia, enlargement of the liver and spleen, anemia, an influenza-like illness and an acute inflammatory skin disease marked by tender red nodules, usually on the shins. Reactivated infection usually involves the lungs, the brain, spinal membranes, heart, peritoneum, and the adrenals. *Brucella Melitensis* a bacteria which can cause chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, profuse sweating when at rest, pain in joints and muscles, insomnia, nausea, and damage to major organs. *Clostridium Perfringens* a highly toxic bacteria which cause gas gangrene. The bacteria produce toxins that move along muscle bundles in the body killing cells and producing necrotic tissue that is then favorable for further growth of the bacteria itself. Eventually, these toxins and bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause a systemic illness.. In addition, several shipments of Escherichia Coli (E.Coli) and genetic materials, as well as human and bacterial DNA, were shipped directly to the "Iraq Atomic Energy Commission." ..The American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, Maryland) exported to agencies of the government of Iraq pursuant to the issuance of an export licensed by the U.S. Commerce Department. _____ Are these bacteria and toxins the causes for Gulf War Syndrome? Did our troops become ill from U.S. bombing of Iraqi biological stockpiles? Did our troops become sick from the experimental vaccines given them to ward off the toxins and bacteria that the Department of Defense knew the U.S. Commerce Department gave Iraq? Is the reason the Clinton administration and the Department of Defense continue to deny the existence of Gulf War Syndrome because the United States government is responsible for the sickness of thousands of our finest soldiers? Why did Clinton make a deal with Bush to not investigate this travesty with the promise that Bush would not criticize Clinton? Larry @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Editor: Keep in mind that during much of this period the Iran/Iraq war was underway, accompanied by close intelligence cooperation between the U.S. and Iraq -- and intense strategic attention placed on the region. There's no way the U.S. wasn't fully aware of the scope and nature of Iraq's munitions development. The ongoing sanctions-punishment of the Iraqi people, based largely on the "illegality" Iraqi weapons, is hypocritical in the extreme. I'll post a report in the next couple days about the sanctions. One wonders if there was any reason for encouraging Iraq's bio-weapons development, other than entrapping them into international censure. Was the U.S. hoping they'd use the weapons against Iran? What would have been the consequences if they had? -rkm @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ Posted by Richard K. Moore (•••@••.•••) Wexford, Ireland •••@••.••• | Cyberlib=http://www.internet-eireann.ie/cyberlib Materials may be reposted in their entirety for non-commercial use. ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~
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