tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222581.post1455568985160073150..comments2023-09-01T09:05:06.728-06:00Comments on The Government Information Library at the University of Colorado Boulder: GAO Releases This WeekJenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05940465257338740226noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222581.post-22168027638337772572008-11-23T07:08:00.000-07:002008-11-23T07:08:00.000-07:00http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/112308edi...http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/112308editorial.html<BR/>Self (inflicted) defense can up risk<BR/>By The Baltimore Examiner Newspaper<BR/>- 11/23/08<BR/><BR/>Two clear facts shine from the clouded mystery of anthrax attacks on America and our government’s tenuous claim seven years later of closing the case with the suicide of a suspect.<BR/>Fact No. 1: Government warnings about anthrax being a weapon of mass destruction were false. Somebody dispersed the most lethal strain our tax dollars can produce — weapons-grade or near enough — via the U.S. Postal Service, exposing tens of millions of people, yet managed to infect 22. Five died. But from anthrax vaccination, at least 21 died and thousands reported a wide range of illnesses.<BR/><BR/>Fact No. 2: If FBI accusations against their prime suspect in the 2001 attack are true, it means billions of dollars taxpayers invested on the premise of prevention actually increased the risk.<BR/><BR/>When senior biodefense researcher Bruce Ivins died from an overdose of Tylenol 3 after being identified as sole suspect, our central<BR/>government declared the crime solved.<BR/><BR/>However, co-workers at the U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Frederick say the actions attributed to Ivins over the time the government claims are scientifically impossible.<BR/><BR/>This is going to be another never-healing wound in America’s body of unsolved mysteries.<BR/><BR/>But mystery should not distract us from the truth. Our government’s response to bioweapons is raising the danger level from them.<BR/><BR/>Think it through, citizens. The very vaccination program intended to thwart anthrax apparently sickened and killed more people than an actual mass attack.<BR/><BR/>After the 2001 attack, our government hurled $41 billion at bioterror with no real coordination or study. High-level labs multiplied threefold. A dozen agencies exponentially increased the number of facilities and workers handling pathogens. Now we have more than 15,000 potential Bruce Ivins.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, our leaders provided no adequate increase in oversight, coordination, training, security, surveillance, testing, background checks or psychological screening.<BR/><BR/>Statistically, something going horribly wrong now approaches sure thing. That is not just a threat to residents of Frederick, Bethesda and other communities. It is, as the spread of anthrax spores proved, a threat to the whole world.<BR/><BR/>We learned in 2001 the actual danger from anthrax was lower than vaccine.<BR/><BR/>But these biohazard labs grow a lot more dangerous pathogens than anthrax. The next one to get out could kill millions.<BR/><BR/>President Bush must immediately halt programs until we can impose coordinated oversight, then assess security and capacity needs.<BR/><BR/>We must not let self-defense become self-inflicted catastrophe.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Link to GAO reports<BR/>http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-108T High-Containment Biosafety Laboratories<BR/>http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-333R Issues Associated with Expansion<BR/><BR/>Read the vaccine series<BR/>http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/crime/Scientific_impossibility.html Scientific impossibility<BR/>http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/112008anthraxpart2.html Sickening results<BR/>http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/112008anthrax.html Costly program<BR/>http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/112008anthraxletter.html Pentagon respondsFrank Keeganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07711112622874531064noreply@blogger.com