BIO ARAB BOMBS BEING PREPARED BY ISRAEL.
ISRAEL PURSUES NAZI AND APARTHEID BIO-GERM RESEARCH
MER - Washington - 15 Nov:
While the U.S./Israeli approach to bombing the Arab Middle Eastinto submission takes on
new dimensions previously unthinkable, the level of hypocrisy and duplicity continues to
rise in tandem.
In recent years credible reports not only about Israel's huge nuclear weapons program,
including neutron people-killer bombs, but also about major chemical and biological
weapons programs, have been coming into public view.
Now another major development is seeping out. To many it may at first sound like a
hoax, but this shocking story is from today's THE SUNDAY TIMES, the same newspaper that in
the 1980s broke into the open the details of Israel's nuclear weapons program:
ISRAEL PLANNING 'ETHNIC' BOMB AS SADDAM CAVES IN
by Uzi Mahnaimi and Marie Colvin
ISRAEL is working on a biological weapon that would harmArabs but not Jews, according
to Israeli military and westernintelligence sources. The weapon, targeting victims by
ethnicorigin, is seen as Israel's response to Iraq's threat of chemicaland biological
attacks.
Yesterday Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, backed awayfrom the brink of war and agreed
to resume co-operationwith the inspection teams seeking his suspected chemical
andbiological weapons plants.
Kofi Annan, the United Nation secretary-general, said hebelieved Iraq had met UN
requirements. As Britain andAmerica stood by to bomb Saddam, however, Tony Blair'soffice
said compliance must be unconditional.
The White House, which is threatening Iraq with the biggestonslaught since the Gulf
war, said President Bill Clinton'sadvisers were assessing whether Iraq's offer was
adequate.The Pentagon is ready to bomb within days.
Last week Downing Street warned Labour MPs that Saddam could be only weeks away from
completing the construction of offensive biological weapons mounted on Scud missiles.
Israel was hit by Scuds during the Gulf war and fears it would be the prime target.
In developing their "ethno-bomb", Israeli scientists are tryingto exploit
medical advances by identifying distinctive genescarried by some Arabs, then create a
genetically modifiedbacterium or virus.
The intention is to use the ability of viruses and certainbacteria to alter the DNA
inside their host's living cells. Thescientists are trying to engineer deadly
micro-organisms thatattack only those bearing the distinctive genes.
The programme is based at the biological institute in NesTziyona, the main research
facility for Israel's clandestinearsenal of chemical and biological weapons.
A scientist there said the task was hugely complicatedbecause both Arabs and Jews are
of semitic origin. But headded: "They have, however, succeeded in pinpointing
aparticular characteristic in the genetic profile of certain Arabcommunities, particularly
the Iraqi people." The disease couldbe spread by spraying the organisms into the air
or puttingthem in water supplies.
The research mirrors biological studies conducted by SouthAfrican scientists during the
apartheid era and revealed intestimony before the truth and reconciliation commission.
The idea of a Jewish state conducting such research has already provoked outrage in
some quarters because of parallels with the genetic experiments of Dr Josef Mengele, the
Nazi scientist at Auschwitz.
Dedi Zucker, a member of knesset, the Israeli parliament,denounced the research
yesterday. "Morally, based on ourhistory, and our tradition and our experience, such
a weaponis monstrous and should be denied," he said.
Some experts said that although the concept of an ethnicallytargeted weapon was
feasible, the practical aspects ofcreating one were enormous.
Dr Daan Goosen, head of a South African chemical andbiological warfare plant, said his
team was ordered in the1980s to develop a "pigmentation weapon" to target
onlyblack people. He said the team discussed spreading a diseasein beer, maize or even
vaccinations but never managed todevelop one.
However, a confidential Pentagon report warned last yearthat biological agents could be
genetically engineered toproduce new lethal weapons. William Cohen, the Americandefence
secretary, revealed that he had received reports ofcountries working to create
"certain types of pathogens thatwould be ethnic-specific". A senior western
intelligencesource confirmed last week that Israel was one of thecountries Cohen had in
mind.
The "ethno-bomb" claims have been given further credence inForeign Report, a
Jane's publication that closely monitorssecurity and defence matters. It reports unnamed
SouthAfrican sources as saying Israeli scientists have used some ofthe South African
research in trying to develop an "ethnicbullet" against Arabs.
It also says Israelis discovered aspects of the Arab geneticmake-up by researching on
"Jews of Arab origin, especiallyIraqis".
The British Medical Association has become so concernedabout the lethal potential of
genetically based biologicalweapons that it has opened an investigation, which is due
toreport in January.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, who organised the research, said:"With an ethnically
targeted weapon, you could even hitgroups within a population. The history of warfare, in
whichmany conflicts have an ethnic factor, shows us howdangerous this could be."
Porton Down, Britain's biological defence establishment, saidlast week that such
weapons were theoretically possible. "Wehave reached a point now where there is an
obvious need foran international convention to control biological weapons,"said a
spokesman.
Additional reporting: Matthew Campbell and Hugh McManners
