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Pop Quiz: What do crop dusters have to do with this?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by treeman, Sep 22, 2001.

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  1. treeman

    treeman Member

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    Time reports that a manual on crop dusting has been found in the apartment of one of the terrorists.

    Question: Why would a terrorist have a manual on crop dusting?

    A) He worked as a crop duster pilot.

    B) He has wierd taste in coffee table books.

    C) He intended at some point to spray a populated area in the US with anthrax using a crop duster.

    What this tells me is that his group has already recieved some anthrax, or is planning on recieving some at some point in the future. Of course, the CIA has already said that it believes that Saddam has already given bin Laden some anthrax, as well as level 2 equipment to deal with it. And don't forget all those dead animals we've spotted around bin Laden's camps. Put two and two together, and the conclusion is unavoidable: they have anthrax, and they intend to use it against our cities.

    Let's see how much restraint anyone wants to show when that s*it comes raining on down...
     
    #1 treeman, Sep 22, 2001
  2. francis 4 prez

    francis 4 prez Member

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    What exactly does anthrax do. I mean aside from killing you, what symptons does it cause, what mechanism does it use to kill you, and how lethal is it (meaning if they drop it on a city will it automatically kill everyone it comes in contact with or can you survive after just getting really sick).
     
    #2 francis 4 prez, Sep 22, 2001
  3. haven

    haven Member

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    franciz for perez:

    Anthrax has symptoms such as vomiting, diahrea (sp), sore throat, and loss of appetite. Very similar to the flu.

    Fatality ranges from 35-90%, depending on the strain.

    It is treatable, but only if you catch it very quickly. The first few people that contract it are basically doomed.

    It is not communicable, fortunately.

    It's also very difficult to disperse. Auma in Japan spent more than 100 million dollars, and was unable to develop an effective version of anthrax. If the droplets are too large, they can't attach to lung cells. Too small, and they're irrelevant.

    The weather also effects anthrax, since conditions have to be almost perfect for many to contract the disease far removed from the point of dispersal.

    It's dangerous, but not very efficient, and very difficult to effectively use.

    I've read that small pox is a greater concern.
     
    #3 haven, Sep 22, 2001
  4. treeman

    treeman Member

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    The symptoms are initially flu-like, which is why it's ideal to use against civilians - the doctor will think they have the flu and just send them home. You'll know it's anthrax when the symptoms don't go away but get worse, and little black splotches start showing up all over your body. I'm not sure (I don't have my books with me), but I think the mechanism of death is some type of pneumonia, which is I think typically about a week after symptoms start to show up.

    How lethal it is depends on the strain. If it's just every day anthrax (an unaltered strain), then I think your chances of surviving are about 50/50. If it's a modified strain, your chances are significantly lower. The Russians have made strains that are 90% mortal, and are very resistant to UV, heat, and cold. If a Russian strain were sprayed around Houston it could kill half a million to a million people.
     
    #4 treeman, Sep 22, 2001
  5. treeman

    treeman Member

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    haven:

    Did you know that in the early '80s, after the WHO had pronounced smallpox defeated and the US stopped inoculating people against it, the Russians removed hundreds of MIRVs (warheads) on their ICBMs and replaced them with smallpox-filled canisters? The Deputy Director of Biopreparat (their biowar apparatus) defected to the US and told all... Pick up his book Biohazard (by Ken Alibek) if you want to have a few nightmares.

    The CIA is also concerned that Saddam may have recieved smallpox samples from the Russians. Alibek hinted to it in his book.

    On anthrax, you are correct that it is difficult to disperse - if the proper techniques are not employed. If it is not grown in a certain way, packaged in a certain way, dispersed in a certain way, etc. then it is not very effective. But if it is - and the Russians (and likely the Chinese) know how to do all these things - then it is very effective.
     
    #5 treeman, Sep 22, 2001
  6. rockHEAD

    rockHEAD Member

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    #6 rockHEAD, Sep 22, 2001
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