[jatx]

I think that this is an interesting story, but that it is generating too much hysteria.

We have known for some time that AQ is working on biological weapons. With a few PhD's and clean rooms constructed from materials acquired at Home Depot, they could certainly wreak havoc. This has been written about ad nauseam, yet they do not seem to have executed against the plan.

Instead, what we see is a group of geographically isolated zealots experimenting with a type of plague which poses no real threat to Western civilization. My understanding is that bubonic and pneumonic plague can both be treated effectively with modern drugs, although it is much more difficult in the case of PP. There is no place in civilized society without access to adequate supplies of potent antibiotics.

So, forty true believers demonstrate their stupidity and ineptitude first through their choice of weapon and second through their amateur hour attempts at handling and safety. Here's a news flash - producing large amounts of BP is not difficult, it is the handling and distribution which require some measure of sophistication.

I have no doubt that AQ will eventually learn from its mistakes here and get better at handling and distribution. However the real story is that, after over ten years of effort focused in this area, we are being shown in vivid color how pitiful their vision and execution actually are. If they can't handle BP properly, they are light years from being able to deliver anything that we should actually be worried about.

Where is your phalanx of highly educated converts, AQ? Why is your "weapons program" in the hands of a bunch of glorified monkeys?

When we finish laughing, my friends and I will go back to hunting you like animals.