Ricin Assassination
Ricin is a lethal toxic agent that can be found in the seeds of castor bean plant. According to CDC at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp, ricin is created from castor bean waste after it had been processed and castor oil is made. The agent is illegal and is not available in the United States, but is available in the international countries. The agent itself is known to be expensive within the international market, but the castor bean plant can be found anywhere. The agent can be used as a biological or chemical weapon of mass destruction. During the World War II, the agent was identified as W agent by Croddy and Wirzt (2005). Ricin is deadly and can enter into the body in many ways. Croddy and Wirtz (2005) stated that ricin can enter the body through injection, inhalation, or indigestion. Ricin comes in the form of liquid, powder, or pellets. The agent is tasteless, odorless, and can be hardly detected at times depending on the nature of the agent. It can be spread widely and easily through food or water contamination if a large amount got in the hands of the enemies or terrorist. Ricin is not a contagious agent, but can be spread through the population if it’s in the food, drink, or on the clothing and person touches it. Symptoms of the agent when exposed are abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody, dehydration, decrease in urine, decrease in blood pressure and may cause death within 3-5 days. Currently, there is no treatment for the agent. It can also be produced as bombs or any other explosive device. How it is delivered maybe depending on the enemies. Ricin may be deadly, but according to the http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp (2013), has been used as therapy for cancer. T...
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...evices and bombs with inexpensive products that can cause injuries within our homes, the U.S officials should maximize the awareness and security in our country.
References
Corddy, Eric A., Wirtz, James J., & Larsen, Jeffery A. (Eds). (2005). Ricin. Weapons of mass destruction. Santa Barbra, CA.
Embar-Seddon, Ed. Ayn, & Pass, Allan D. (Eds.). (2009). Markov murder. Forensic science Vol.
2. (pp. 708-709). Pasadena, CA.
Embar-Seddon, Ed. Ayn and Allan D. Pass, Allan D. (Eds.). (2009). Ricin. Forensic science Vol.
3. (pp. 883-886). Pasadena, CA.
Ananymous. (2008). Castor bean. Retrieved from http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/castorbean.html. Antrobus, Shennell S. (2013). Ricin investigation. Retrieved from http://www.uscapitolpolice.gov/pressreleases/2013/pr_04-16-13.php. Ananymous. (2013). Ricin. Retrieved from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp
The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston is an intriguing book that discusses the anthrax terrorist attacks after 9/11 and how smallpox might become a future bioterrorist threat to the world. The book provides a brief history of the smallpox disease including details of an outbreak in Germany in 1970. The disease was eradicated in 1979 due to the World Health Organization’s aggressive vaccine program. After the virus was no longer a treat the World Health Organization discontinued recommending the smallpox vaccination. In conjunction, inventory of the vaccine was decreased to save money. The virus was locked up in two labs, one in the United States and one in Russia. However, some feel the smallpox virus exists elsewhere. Dr. Peter Jahrling and a team of scientists at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland became concerned terrorists had access to the smallpox virus and planed to alter the strain to become more resistant. These doctors conducted smallpox experiments to discover more effective vaccines in case the virus were released. Preparedness for a major epidemic is discussed as well as the ease with which smallpox can be bioengineered.
Guillemin, J. (2005). Biological weapons: From the invention of state-sponsored programs to contemporary bioterrorism Columbia University Press.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large scale hostility towards innocent people in our country was remotely possible. Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel.
Anthrax is one of the most preferred biological warfare agents for many highly identified reasons. First, anthrax is extremely lethal. Anthrax can contain up to 100 million lethal doses in just one gram of anthrax spores, which is 100,000 times more lethal than any other biological warfare agent. It is also known that inhalation anthrax is almost always fatal if the symptoms are allowed to progress without any treatment. Anthrax is also the silent and invisible killer. On top of the fatality rate of anthrax, there are also very low barriers to produce the biological weapon. Anthrax spores are very easy to produce in large quantities, and the process of production is very inexpensive. Also, there is plenty of available information on how to weaponize anthrax and not a whole lot of technology is needed to be able to produce anthrax. Anthrax is also easy to weaponize because it is extremely stable as a dry powder in the form of spores. These spores can live for decades and still be very lethal to the human body. Anthrax can be put into an aerosol form disseminated into a spray can, and it can also be freeze-dried into a bomb. Presently anthrax is the most preferred biological agent is because we have no accurate detection capability.
The 2001 anthrax attacks was one of the worst bio-weapon attacks on the US in history. The attacks where done through the mail. The anthrax was placed in envelopes with a letter and mailed from various locations to different people and organizations. The anthrax filled letters ended up killing 5 people, causing 17 to become sick and exposing anthrax it is believed to as many as 30,000 people. During the mail process spores of anthrax from the letters escaped and got on mailroom equipment exposing postal employees. If a person was exposed to enough anthrax and developed symptoms they typically died in a few days. Postal workers during the attacks where told that anthrax will appear as a white powder t...
“Johns Hopkins Working Group on Civilian Biodefense Says Botulinum Toxin is a Major Biological Weapons Threat.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Johns Hopkins University, 28 Feb. 2001. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
Ricin is a chemical substance that was used in killing targeted individuals during the Cold War. The chemical was first developed in the United States and United Kingdom, but it was widely used in other countries like Bulgaria. The substance can kill individuals exposed to it through ingestion, inhalation and injections. Among the victims of ricin assassination includes Georgi Markov who was one of the rebels of the former communist regime. Ricin was also used as a weapon that targeted government officials. Several letters containing ricin were addressed to government officials in an attempt to kill them through ricin inhalation. Ricin kills those exposed to it by damaging their internal organs. Its elements kill cells by hindering various functions such as proper protein formation.
Fries, A. A., & West, C. J. (1921) The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Chemical warfare. New York [etc.] :. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.. Heller, C. E. (1985).
...sponsored terrorists, as well as from nuclear-capable countries, it is necessary that we have the ability to stop whatever comes our way and save the lives of thousands, if not millions, of American citizens. To do so, it was important that the new administration under George W. Bush take action to further our research and development in the area of anti-ballistic missile defense systems.
Possible hidden messages in the amino acid codes seemed to authorities like possible doings of Ivins, and he was resultantly placed under watch. Authorities found a copy of a book on amino acids in Ivins’ trash, further incriminating him. Charges were placed against him, but however, on July 27th, 2008, Ivins died in the hospital, after intentionally overdosing on Paracetamol, an over-the-counter pain reliever, in what the authorities believed to be an attempt to avoid his charges. The authorities had lost their strongest suspect, and the investigation began to dwindle. The investigation included over ten thousand witnesses, spanning six continents. 1 year and 6 months later, the investigation was forma...
Being the oldest daughter of a Senior ATF Agent, I have been exposed to domestic terrorism all of my life. My father has investigated thousands of bombings, fires, and explosions for more than twenty years now. Many of these incidents were examples of the terrorism that I speak about. His experiences have taught me countless lessons and informed me of many current events. The information that I have obtained from him is far more valuable than anything that the media could ever possibly convey. Though he is always strictly guarded with the confidences of his profession, he has always provided me with a firsthand knowledge of the impact that domestic terrorism has on the citizens and law enforcement. Through him, I learn the facts of these incidents without the media’s exaggerations. Today I will share with you some of these facts. I will talk to you about the impact that domestic terrorism has on our citizens. These impacts include: the monetary damages that terrorism inflicts, along with the injuries to the victims, the shocking repercussions that are embedded into the minds and souls of the people who come to sort through the rubble to find the survivors and the remaining evidence.
17 July 2012. 8 Nov. 2014 http://cryptome.org/smallpox-wmd.htm> “Smallpox and Bioterrorism” 6 June 2001. Center for Disease Control. 4 Nov. 2014. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Smallpox/FactSheet.pdf > http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
United States. Defense Nuclear Agency. Operation Dominic I - 1962. Vol. DNA 6040F. L. Berkhouse, 1962. T24298. U.S. Department of Defense - Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. .
To prevent tragedies like 9/11 from taking its toll on the United States, terrorism needs to be thought about still to this day. One quote that proves this point is, “In 2001, the federal commission warned that terrorists could get weapons that could cause mass destruction. Congress needs to work on the integrated governmental structures to better the nation's security” (Augustine). The nation's security can help with the destruction of weapons that are dangerous to the U.S. This can cause more attacks like 9/11 and create a larger threat to the population.
Seidenstat argues that security is a relative thing and that no set of policies or measures can eliminate all terrorist acts (Seidenstat 2009 ,4). Terrorists will stop at nothing to foil our defenses. They are very patient and creative in planning their attacks. Terrorists will continue to invent ways to defeat our security measures while we are busy with our lives and forgetting about the last attack. Sometimes they don’t need to do nothing but wait for us to let our guard down so they can easily slip passed security measures.