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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Poet who wrote (29019)9/23/2001 5:32:44 PM
From: Poet  Respond to of 82486
 
Saturday, Sep. 22, 2001
Cropduster Manual Discovered
Sources tell TIME that U.S. officials suspect that bin Laden conspirators may have
been planning to disperse biological or chemical agents from cropdusting planes
BY MASSIMO CALABRESI AND SALLY DONNELLY

New York -- U.S. law enforcement officials have found a manual on the operation
of cropdusting equipment while searching suspected terrorist hideouts, government
sources tell TIME magazine in an issue out on Monday, Sept. 24th.

The discovery has added to concerns among government counterterrorism experts
that the bin Laden conspirators may have been planning — or may still be planning
—to disperse biological or chemical agents from a cropdusting plane normally used
for agricultural purposes.

Among the belongings of suspected terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, sources tell
TIME, were manuals showing how to operate cropdusting equipment that could be
used to spray fast-killing toxins into the air.

The discovery resulted in the grounding of all cropdusters nationwide on Sunday
Sept. 16th. The dusters have been allowed back up, but are not allowed to take off
or land from what traffic controllers refer to as Class B airspace, or the skies
around major cities.

One senior official cautions that because corroborative evidence is lacking the FBI
does not place "high credibility" in the notion that the hijackers were in fact
exploring the idea of stealing or renting cropdusters. However, the FBI is advising
members of a crop-dusters' group to report any suspicious buys of dangerous
chemicals in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks.

Last week, the National Agricultural Aviation Association, a crop dusters trade
group, posted a message from the FBI to its membership: "Members should be
vigilant to any suspicious activity relative to the use, training in or acquisition of
dangerous chemicals or airborne application of same including threats, unusual
purchases, suspicious behavior by employees or customers, and unusual contacts
with the public. Members should report any suspicious circumstances or
information to local FBI offices."

—With reporting by Elaine Shannon/Washington



To: Poet who wrote (29019)9/23/2001 6:09:08 PM
From: gao seng  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 82486
 
Looks like I was wrong to put you on ignore, Poet.

Message 16397843



To: Poet who wrote (29019)9/23/2001 6:13:53 PM
From: epicure  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 82486
 
We have tons of canned goods on hand at all times.
Just because I buy things on special.
Since we were always into science we talked about the biological threat thing ages ago- we discussed it in the context of a killer flu, since these sweep through predictably every 30 years or so, and devastating flus come by about every 75 to 100 years.. If we had warning we would stay home, and keep the kids home. There isn't much else we could do.