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Plague dirty bomb no wmd Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12162591.htm http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12162591.htm 12 May 2003 19:30:30 GMT Plague, 'dirty bomb' no weapons of mass destruction (Adds FBI quote paragraph 5, updates with exercise under way) By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - The "dirty bomb" and pneumonic plague attacks being simulated in this week's "Topoff 2" exercise are considered likely weapons of terror because they are relatively easy to obtain and could cause mass panic. The largest homeland security drill ever undertaken in the United States, Topoff 2 will run through Friday as a test of emergency crews' handling of disasters. In the simulation, a fictitious terrorist group detonated a radioactive "dirty bomb" in Seattle on Monday, and was to spread pneumonic plague in Chicago, where flu-like symptoms will be reported on Tuesday. Experts say the United States is vulnerable to both forms of attack. "Planning has been minimal at the federal or local levels for responding to either class of attack," the National Academy of Sciences said in a report in June 2002. "We do have terrorist organizations out there that have the capability of conducting a terrorist act of the nature that has been scripted," said Charles Mandigo, an FBI special agent in Seattle. A dirty bomb would probably cause more panic than mass destruction. Such devices would consist of a conventional explosive like dynamite combined with radioactive material from medical equipment, old reactors or even from nuclear waste. The greatest risk would come from the explosion and even people close to the blast would be unlikely to get a dangerous dose of radiation, experts said. "Just because people are near a radioactive source for a short time or get a small amount of radioactive material on them does not mean that they will get cancer," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. Those exposed to the bomb's fallout could remove much of the radiation by taking off and destroying their clothes and scrubbing down. PLAGUE FRIGHTENING BUT CURABLE Pneumonic plague is also easily dealt with -- if diagnosed in time. A seven-day course of antibiotics should prevent patients from ever developing symptoms -- unlike anthrax, for example, which requires weeks of medication. But plague, especially pneumonic plague, is a "Category A" agent on the U.S. government's list of likely biological weapons. The CDC says it "can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person; result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health impact; might cause public panic and social disruption; and require special action for public health preparedness." (Additional reporting by Chris Stetkiewicz in Seattle)

Dirty bomb germs simulated cities { May 13 2003 } Dirty bombs terror test Drill test responses { May 12 2003 } Homeland security drill { May 5 2003 } Illinois attack excercise Mock dirty bomb seattle { May 13 2003 } Plague dirty bomb no wmd Simulated terror attacks { May 9 2003 } Files Listed: 8

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