Doubt over Kay's test-tube find

[toontra]

It appears that there is now doubt over the authenticity of Kay's only find of bio weapons - a single test-tube of botulinum - LINK (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1057558,00.html)

It seems that the (already embarrassingly insignificant) fig-leaf of respectability is in danger of being blown away!

[zimv20]

WMD = weapons-claims of maximum distortion

[mactastic]

Who the hell keeps a vial of botulinum toxin in their refrigerator!

"No hon, the milk is behind that vial of deadly poison on the third shelf"

WTF???

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by mactastic
Who the hell keeps a vial of botulinum toxin in their refrigerator!

"No hon, the milk is behind that vial of deadly poison on the third shelf"

WTF???

Personally, I've found many things I suspect to be the beginnings of biological weapons growing in my refrigerator. However, I hasten to add, I have never actually put anything in there for that purpose. By the way, if my milk goes bad do I have to call the Department of Homeland Security?

[zimv20]

Originally posted by Sayhey
if my milk goes bad do I have to call the Department of Homeland Security?

relax, that's your neighbor's job.

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by zimv20
relax, that's your neighbor's job.

Sorry, I forgot Ashcroft's directive.

[manzanita]

Originally posted by mactastic
Who the hell keeps a vial of botulinum toxin in their refrigerator!

All the doctors who treat old rich wrinkled women with BoTox treatment do!

This is a pretty common "treatment", even if it's deadly... sick, eh?

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by mactastic
Who the hell keeps a vial of botulinum toxin in their refrigerator!

"No hon, the milk is behind that vial of deadly poison on the third shelf"

WTF???

Well, you'd be surprised what you find sometimes...

My grandfather was a chemist during WWII and when my grandparents moved out of their house a few years ago we shoulda called a freakin' hazmat team. Mason jars full of mercury and various other chemicals that have probably been sitting in their garage for 40 or 50 years. :o


Lethal

[patrick0brien]

-toontra

Well, Botulism toxin is actually a big deal.

It is the single most poisonous substance yet discovered by man.

A single thimble full of pure botulism toxin (Botox is a coctail remember) is enough to kill every man, woman, child, dog, and cat on Earth.

All you organic chemistry guys out there - it's in your text (well, it was in mine).

It also difficult to manufacture - as it's produced in microgram quantities, and has a very defined shelf life.

We'll see if this is the bacterium itself (bad enough, but not huge), or the toxin (Uh, oh.).

[toontra]

Originally posted by patrick0brien
-toontra

Well, Botulism toxin is actually a big deal.

It is the single most poisonous substance yet discovered by man.

(Uh, oh.).

I never said botulism toxin wasn't a big deal. I was highlighting a press report about Kay's test-tube discovery.

You obviously have some training in this area - what's your reaction to the speculation in the linked article?

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by toontra
I never said botulism toxin wasn't a big deal. I was highlighting a press report about Kay's test-tube discovery.

You obviously have some training in this area - what's your reaction to the speculation in the linked article?

-toontra

My reaction is this: If that is found to have a significant quantity of actual toxin, this would constitute a readily-deployable WMD.

Most people think that deploy means firing a gun, well in this case, it's pouring it into a spray can and sprit-zing a food supply - just walking around with the stuff can be considered deployed - like plutonium, or VX.

The toxin kills through ingestion.

10cc's in the hands of a guy at a grain elevator and you'd be talking everybody that ate the bread product would probably die - especially if that bread is undercooked.

[mactastic]

That still doesn't constitute a strategic threat to national security, which is the only justification for a preemptive war IMHO.

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by mactastic
That still doesn't constitute a strategic threat to national security, which is the only justification for a preemptive war IMHO.

-mactastic

Ah, you're here too huh? :D

Well, again I go into the law books. The article passed last year - as well as the ones way back in 1990 were in clear and blatant violation, and was written in that new resolution to do exactly what Bush did in invading.

So, in law and resolution, he was legal.

But do I think it was necessary. no.

We should have given Hans Blix a lot more time - a lot more.

[mactastic]

Oh I'm not claiming that the war was illegal, just stupid and unnecessary.

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by mactastic
Oh I'm not claiming that the war was illegal, just stupid and unnecessary.

-mactastic

Agreed. My apologies for seeming to overreact in my last post, it was not my intention to imply you thought it illegal.

[mactastic]

No worries. I'm just trying to draw a distinction between something like the Cuban Missle Crisis and Dubya Dubya Two. Soviet missles 80 miles from our shores is a strategic threat. A test tube of bioweapon is not.