Ricin in Vegas
SATURDAY UPDATE: Still not a ton of answers in this case, but some new information has come out today, mainly in the Las Vegas Review Journal. An Homeland Security internal document obtained by the paper reveals the 57 year old victim as Roger Von Bergendorff. “He’s unable to speak with us right now,” said Deputy Chief Kathy Suey, who leads the Police Department’s Homeland Security Division.
If a person exposed to ricin doesn’t die within three to five days, the victim usually recovers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Before Thursday’s discovery of the deadly poison, hotel management and Las Vegas police had visited the suite twice without detecting it.
LATE UPDATE: While detectives are remaining very quiet about this story and investigation, there are a couple of interesting things to consider. First, why didn’t the victim tell the hospital that he was exposed to the white powder (Ricin), wouldn’t you do that if you touched something you didn’t know about and then started to feel ill? Second, when found yesterday inside a plastic bag, was the bag sealed? That might explain why everyone else who came in contact yesterday thankfully didn’t get sick. Also, while on the record detectives say the victim is not a suspect, off camera they have not ruled out some sort of foul play.
On Feb. 22, eight days after Von Bergendorff was hospitalized, one of the man’s “relations” called hotel management to alert them to two cats and one dog that were in the suite. Management contacted the Humane Society to take care of the animals, and the cats were taken in and are in good health. A veterinarian with the society determined the dog was in ill health because of lack of food and water and the animal was destroyed, Lombardo said.
On Tuesday, management at the hotel began eviction procedures and called Las Vegas police after discovering four firearms in the suite, the Homeland Security memo states. Police then found an anarchist textbook that was “tabbed” to a section on ricin. That discovery prompted police investigators to test the room for the deadly substance. The test was negative.
On Thursday, a man who “claimed to be a relative” was in the suite and discovered several vials of ricin in a bag, along with castor beans from which the substance is derived, Suey said. Police have not identified the man, whom they said was 53 years old. But the Homeland Security document identified him as Thomas Tholen. Authorities said Tholen took the vials of ricin to the manager’s office. It was not clear whether Tholen knew what the vials contained.
Tholen and three other people who were inside the manager’s office were taken to Desert Springs Hospital as a precaution. Police said Tholen stayed at the Excalibur on Wednesday night. Friday evening investigators found the room was not tainted from ricin, Lombardo said.
Police believe that all of the ricin related to the incident has been contained.
Las Vegas police spokesman Bill Cassell said Von Bergendorff “is not considered a criminal suspect.”
Lombardo said: “I don’t want to make any conclusions with the anarchist-type textbook. It doesn’t make you a terrorist because you have this type textbook. It doesn’t make you a terrorist if you possess firearms.”
Police said Von Bergendorff had a misdemeanor arrest several years ago but would release no other details until the ricin investigation is completed.
Suey said the suite was registered to the man, but she did not know how long he had stayed in the suite before his hospitalization.
FROM EARLIER After plane delays last night into early this morning from New York to LA & then delays from LA to Las Vegas, We are finally on scene here for the Ricin story.
The call came after only two hours of sleep and we were either in cars driving or at the airport within an hour. On our blackberry’s came all the background. About the case, castor beans, Ricin and the dangers associated with this highly toxic material.
Our desk in New York is the lifeline in situations like this, we have no way to get online, or even make calls while on the plane. We can however read our Blackberry’s with all the information we can possibly comprehend. Here’s one desk message for example that gave me some great background.
What ricin is
* Ricin is a poison that can be made from the waste left over from processing castor beans.
* It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
* It is a stable substance. For example, it is not affected much by extreme conditions such as very hot or very cold temperatures.
Where ricin is found and how it is used
* Castor beans are processed throughout the world to make castor oil. Ricin is part of the waste produced when castor oil is made.
* Ricin has some potential medical uses, such as bone marrow transplants and cancer treatment (to kill cancer cells).
How you could be exposed to ricin
* It would take a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people. Accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely.
* People can breathe in ricin mist or powder and be poisoned.
* Ricin can also get into water or food and then be swallowed.
* Pellets of ricin, or ricin dissolved in a liquid, can be injected into peopleâ€TMs bodies.
* Depending on the route of exposure (such as injection or inhalation), as little as 500 micrograms of ricin could be enough to kill an adult. A 500-microgram dose of ricin would be about the size of the head of a pin. A greater amount would likely be needed to kill people if the ricin were swallowed.
* In 1978, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian writer and journalist who was living in London, died after he was attacked by a man with an umbrella. The umbrella had been rigged to inject a poison ricin pellet under Markovâ€TMs skin.
* Some reports have indicated that ricin may have been used in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s and that quantities of ricin were found in Al Qaeda caves in Afghanistan.
* Ricin poisoning is not contagious. It cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact.
How ricin works
* Ricin works by getting inside the cells of a persons body and preventing the cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins, cells die. Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death may occur.
* Effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or injected.
Signs and symptoms of ricin exposure
* The major symptoms of ricin poisoning depend on the route of exposure and the dose received, though many organs may be affected in severe cases.
* Initial symptoms of ricin poisoning by inhalation may occur within 8 hours of exposure. Following ingestion of ricin, initial symptoms typically occur in less than 6 hours.
* Inhalation: Within a few hours of inhaling significant amounts of ricin, the likely symptoms would be respiratory distress (difficulty breathing), fever, cough, nausea, and tightness in the chest. Heavy sweating may follow as well as fluid building up in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This would make breathing even more difficult, and the skin might turn blue. Excess fluid in the lungs would be diagnosed by x-ray or by listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Finally, low blood pressure and respiratory failure may occur, leading to death. In cases of known exposure to ricin, people having respiratory symptoms that started within 12 hours of inhaling ricin should seek medical care.
* Ingestion: If someone swallows a significant amount of ricin, he or she would develop vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody. Severe dehydration may be the result, followed by low blood pressure. Other signs or symptoms may include hallucinations, seizures, and blood in the urine. Within several days, the persons liver, spleen, and kidneys might stop working, and the person could die.
* Skin and eye exposure: Ricin in the powder or mist form can cause redness and pain of the skin and the eyes.
* Death from ricin poisoning could take place within 36 to 72 hours of exposure, depending on the route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or injection) and the dose received. If death has not occurred in 3 to 5 days, the victim usually recovers.
* Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to ricin.
How ricin poisoning is treated
Because no antidote exists for ricin, the most important factor is avoiding ricin exposure in the first place. If exposure cannot be avoided, the most important factor is then getting the ricin off or out of the body as quickly as possible. Ricin poisoning is treated by giving victims supportive medical care to minimize the effects of the poisoning. The types of supportive medical care would depend on several factors, such as the route by which victims were poisoned (that is, whether poisoning was by inhalation, ingestion, or skin or eye exposure). Care could include such measures as helping victims breathe, giving them intravenous fluids (fluids given through a needle inserted into a vein), giving them medications to treat conditions such as seizure and low blood pressure, flushing their stomachs with activated charcoal (if the ricin has been very recently ingested), or washing out their eyes with water if their eyes are irritated.
How you can know whether you have been exposed to ricin
* If we suspect that people have inhaled ricin, a potential clue would be that a large number of people who had been close to each other suddenly developed fever, cough, and excess fluid in their lungs. These symptoms could be followed by severe breathing problems and possibly death.
* No widely available, reliable test exists to confirm that a person has been exposed to ricin.
How you can protect yourself, and what to do if you are exposed to ricin
* First, get fresh air by leaving the area where the ricin was released. Moving to an area with fresh air is a good way to reduce the possibility of death from exposure to ricin.
* If the ricin release was outside, move away from the area where the ricin was released.
* If the ricin release was indoors, get out of the building.
* If you are near a release of ricin, emergency coordinators may tell you to either evacuate the area or to “shelter in place inside a building to avoid being exposed to the chemical. For more information on evacuation during a chemical emergency, see Facts About Evacuation . For more information on sheltering in place during a chemical emergency, see Facts About Sheltering in Place .
* If you think you may have been exposed to ricin, you should remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible.
Removing your clothing:
* Quickly take off clothing that may have ricin on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead of pulled over the head.
* If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.
Washing yourself:
* As quickly as possible, wash any ricin from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect people from any chemicals on their bodies.
* If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.
Disposing of your clothes:
* After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can’t avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren’t sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves, turn the bag inside out and use it to pick up the clothing, or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.
* Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
* When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.
Tags: Las Vegas
Share This
Adam Housley has been with FNC since 2001 as a Los Angeles-based
correspondent. He has covered news ranging from wildfires in California
to political unrest in Venezuela and was one of the few reporters who
witnessed the execution of Stanley “Tookie” Williams. 
Has anyone heard any updates on this ricin incident?
has the man recovered?
any new leads on what is happening with the investigation etc?
free car quote
Excellent post. Keep it up!
Kristin,
Logic dictates he was the engineer of his demise…if that’s going to be his fate…
When I was a kid I had some surgery. About a year later a book called, “The Making of a Surgeon” hit the market. It was written by a doctor named William A. Nolan, M.D., and described his experiences as an intern and surgical resident. That book more than any other shaped the direction of my life and who I am today. But did it make me a surgeon? No. Could someone surmise that because I’d read it and possessed it that I am? No.
The Anarchist’s Cookbook is an ugly piece of work that we’d likely be better off without. But ultimately it’s just a book. Words in a row printed on paper. It’s like a gun, in that by itself it can do no harm. It can’t jump off the shelf and harm anyone in any way. Someone has to pick it up and make an effort to use the information on the pages and do bad things with it.
People are free to make assumptions, but we do have a free press. One can argue there’d be fewer accidents and incidents without books such as the AC, but we can also argue that without the right to make the choice between doing good and evil, we can never show ourselves to be good…or evil. “Character” in the good sense lies in resisting all of the temptations the world has to offer. We’d be poorer without the ability to make the choice on our own. -Rod-
The comment on how just because you have an anarchist cookbook doesn’t mean you are up to no good is true. My Dad had a copy BUT, he was a cop at the time. It was used for teaching purposes. I tend to think the odds of you having one AND being taken to the hospital for possible ricin poisioning and NOT causing the issue yourself would be a longshot.
It amazes me that people would even contemplate making something like this, let alone using it on others but, I fully understand how illogical terrorists are.
The world is indeed a strange place!
I hate the UN. The organization disgusts me:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334378,00.html
The day’s not a total loss, Susan!
BAGHDAD — A U.S. military helicopter fired a guided missile to kill a wanted Al Qaeda in Iraq leader from Saudi Arabia who was responsible for the bombing deaths of five American soldiers, a spokesman said Sunday.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334392,00.html
My Lord- what a mess some parts of the world are in today-
Israel and Hamas- and the Gaza Srip-
Chavez now sending batallions to the border of Colombia- Ecuador is all heated up because of Colombia sending in their men and Reyes died-
Another suicide bombing in Pakistan
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=77247&videoChannel=1
Turkey incursion protest-
Kosovo Serbs and the now free Kosovo can not get along-
Emergency Rule in Armenia
Anti-racist riot in Madrid
And the Democrats versus the Republicans- US
It seems to me Russia’s new President is going to taking advice from Putin- Putin has agreed to be his Prime Minister– (agreed? Lord!)
I saw the press conference Putin held for the media- and he picked Medvedev but in his sneaky way he said the people would vote- HA! He picked Medevedv and then he said it was up to the people– what a joker!
It seems that Russia’s new President is also a fan of change:
“I’m in a good mood. Spring is here,” Medvedev said as he cast his ballot in Moscow, where rain and wet snow sprinkled the streets. “The season has changed.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334368,00.html
There’s a news conference going on. It seems to mostly be the members of the various agencies involved glad handing each other. -Rod-
Hamas calls for an end to Israel’s counter raids…..but, Hamas continues to refuse to recognize Israel.
I guess, if Hamas really wants this to end, they need to recognize Israel’s right to exist and stop its terroristic ways.
Avi–
Israel instensifies Gaza raids– it is pretty ugly!
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=77231&videoChannel=1
US Stake in Russian elections
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=77208&videoChannel=1
K2,
There are massive amounts of methane locked up under the sediment on the ocean floor. Trouble is methane is a ‘greenhouse gas’. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus…all have atmosphere’s made up of methane, among other things. The stuff is also heavier than air, so it hugs the ground or ocean when it’s released, killing off everything. I seem to recall a methane release a decade or two ago in Africa, when a lake in a volcano crater let loose a cloud that drifted over land and killed hundreds, maybe thousands…I can’t recall the number but it was high. There’s a very real possibility that one day the ocean will let loose what the sediments are holding…IIRC it’s carbonates that lock it into the mud…and if that were to happen, the catastrophe could span a continent. One scientist is of the opinion that when it goes, it’ll all go at once. -Rod-
Mako – Off the ricin topic ——
Have you heard of this potential source of energy?
Methane Hydrates (“the ice that burns”) are one of the alternative sources of hydrocarbons – and one with reserves estimated to be larger than those of oil, gas and coal combined – that seem to live in a perpetual twilight on the verge of being harvested.
link to entire article ——— http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/2008/01/warning-signs-on-ocean-floor.html
Adam,
First, why didn’t the victim tell the hospital that he was exposed to the white powder (Ricin), wouldn’t you do that if you touched something you didn’t know about and then started to feel ill?
The question assumes he knew. If we go with the assumption, then the answer is, not if he isn’t willing to pay the legal penalty for whatever he was up to. Many people would rather die. So…he either didn’t know he was exposed, or he did and preferred to die. Hell, maybe this is nothing more than a suicide.
Second, when found yesterday inside a plastic bag, was the bag sealed? That might explain why everyone else who came in contact yesterday thankfully didn’t get sick. Also, while on the record detectives say the victim is not a suspect, off camera they have not ruled out some sort of foul play.
I gather it was in a vial or vials. Some biochemist is making the case that this stuff was highly aerosolized, but I’m thinking it was just ground up. He may have been exposed cleaning up, just inhaling some dust. So there may not have been any reason why others would be contaminated. Then too, his exposure may have occurred elsewhere and vials were clean, so therefore the room was clean too. Just a few guesses. -Rod-
Metoo,
You won’t get sick from growing a castor plant. Just don’t put the seeds (beans) or any part of them in your mouth, don’t crush them up and get ’stuff’ on you or inhale the dust from the pit, etc. They are quite showy and very common as well. -Rod-
This is scary, many years ago, I planted a Castor Bean plant next to my young dgts bedroom window for privacy. It grew to be a beautiful bush and huge in size, it was. Nice large leaves did a great job of privacy for her window. Now scares me to think about it, back in those days we opened our windows to let the fresh air come in. That air was flowing through those bean, etc. Guess it was ok, I don’t recall anyone getting sick.
Karen (K2),
Yes, oil shales are the “60 minutes” piece in Alberta, where they compress tar sands and get oil out of it. The extraction process usually costs upwards of $70 a barrel, and was not considered a possibilty, from lack of profit.
Nowadays, as $70.00 a barrel looks to be a low mark, oil shales will probably receive more attention and investment as we struggle to figure out what sort of energy source we’ll use in the next century.
Shell Oil patented a process for translating oil sands into oil, the largest ever patent ever placed in the United States earlier last year. They intend to begin the process of recouping oil from the areas in the Green River Valley complex states of Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado.
It’s still pretty speculative, but if Shell is patenting, they intend to spend.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Well, that was a thread killer, wasn’t it?
This is one of those stories that layers upon layers to me. There is an origin of the ricin, and it will take Adam some time to figure it all out for us.
I think the ricin guy is fishy too…
I bet there is a lot more to the story.
ok, that seems fishy too. I agree. Any thoughts about it?
I only have one more thing to say here: stay on topic! This is about ricin being found in a motel room. I’m not buying the murder cover myself. GOOD GRIEF!
It sure does look fishy though and Hannity was airing some segments relating to it.
He is a bit much to swallow Dena, just be careful about the reports you’re seeing and hearing until there’s proof. Things may not always be the way they are presented. Go to snopes.com and see if they’ve checked out yet if that information is correct.
I jsut found out why I’m not voting for Barack. I don’t know about you folks, but I’m convinced that I need ot get some information about things like Islam to some candidates ( I won’t say who) but thid sis a very critical sitiuation and I get the impression that we need to talk to the military and intelligence agencies in Israel before we go any further and ask them how they deal with this stuff. Barack is an idiot, that’s what got us in deep trouble in the first place. We have had enough of not being defended by our government. Thisi s actually ONE THING I KNOW THAT THAT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION DOES CHARGE OUR LEADERS WITH, IT’S EVEN IN THE OATH OF OFFICE. Here we are ad we need protection and this guy just told everybody straight up “Who cares?” I DO YOU CREEP! DEATH IS NOT AN OPTION!
They just built the USS New York. They melted down the steel from WTC and built the ship. Fitting that it will now set off to fight the terrorists. Congratulations US Navy!
I’ve never seen a bureaucrat move quickly on anything, Karen…unless they want money from you.
Sorry for the delays today. Another da*med migraine. Actually, the migraine’s long gone, but the cure’s a killer. I feel like I’ve been shot at and missed, sh*t at and hit… -Rod-
Mako – is oil shale the same as what they are doing in Canada – extracting oil from the sands?
Rod -that was almost a year and a half ago! Must be a bigger mess than they thought!
Found it!
MALIBU, Calif. – Just whose waste is fouling the most star-studded stretch of the Southern California coast?
Los Angeles County officials intend to find out, and if the evidence leads back to the toilets of some of Hollywood’s rich and famous, the sewage could really hit the fan.
“This is going to get messy,” predicts Mark Pestrella, the public works official assigned to the project.
More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15133131/
K2,
Well, its a public waterway. And being they are they health department, they can fish through the cesspools on people’s property for samples to match to. I first heard about this about a year ago. I don’t know what’s going on with it these days. Darn Democrats are always making a mess… -Rod-
K2 n’ Rod: Oil Shale. mmmm. Oil Shale.
Those people are called – NIMBY’s – Not In My Back Yard
Rod – lol – DNA testing….. yea, but who will pay the bill? I guess if they can determine who it is, the bill could be paid by the culprit…. but, hold on – can’t you hear the ACLU running to court already…. invasion of privacy – it way my s**t and you had no right to mess with it!
K2,
That reminds me of the denizens inhabiting Malibu, that basically killed off a proposed windfarm 20 miles off the coast. It might have spoiled their view.
Meanwhile, those same good citizens have cesspools that during the rainy season overflow into Malibu Creek, polluting it. One bureaucrat is threatening to do DNA tests on the waste to determine who’s at fault. -Rod-
Thank you Karen, have a great day everybody.
Avi – good hit…..maybe there will be a slow down in the rockets from Gaza.
Also, saw an article about US navy moving in to the waters near Israel, due to instability in Lebanon…… preparing for March 22 -23, perhaps?
I understand an oil or oil company(s) attempted to obtain permission to drill in Lake Michigan…..but, the people opposed it, as the oil rigs being ‘unsightly’.
Why is there no true reporting on how drilling for oil in our own country and off our own coasts would be beneficial to the USA and possibly the entire world?
As we now see, tyrants like Putin, Ahmadinejad, Chavez, have so much ‘power’ is due to the riches they receive from the cost of oil. Plus the leader of Saudi Arabia, who do not readily share the wealth of the oil money with their own people and allow the Wahhabi teachings to flourish – which results in the hatred of the USA.
alfredo and avi… thanks for posting those stories
very interesting
Translation of Alfredo’s post from Google translate ——
“He was discharged alias Raul Reyes, is the most powerful blow that has been given this terrorist group”, this phrase Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos, has just confirmed the death of one member of the Secretariat FARC, which becomes the main blow to this illegal group.
Santos announced the news to the country in a press conference held in the Defense Ministry, which was accompanied the military leadership, which left their faces in the express satisfaction with the operation.
Santos, who read a communique, reported that the military action began at 12:25 minutes in the morning, after having received information from a human source who helped identify the location of Kings.
He explained that after the operation began, the FARC responded with an attack on the aircraft of the Air Force, which took place about 1,800 meters away from the border.
Santos also confirmed that the member of the secretariat was killed in a camp that FARC had installed in Ecuadorian territory, and thus the members of the security forces entered the neighboring country to recover the bodies.
The data
Luis Edgar Devia Silva, aka Raul Reyes, is one of the men trusted alias Tirofijo subrversivas and responsible actions in the south. He has been the most important spokesman of the guerrillas of the FARC.
The minister argued that such action was informed immediately by the president, Alvaro Uribe Velez to his counterpart from Ecuador, Rafael Correa.
Military action, the strongest against the organization, FARC, also allowed to cancel the ideologue of the FARC, Guillermo Enrique Torres, alias “Julian Conrrado.”
The soldier died on historical operating Carlos Hernandez Leon, born on August 27, 1974 in Villavicencio.
The cádaver Reyes will be moved to Bogota, where it will arrive around 2 pm, in an operation led by the senior military. Earlier, the body was sent in a helicopter at the airport in Puerto Asis, Putumayo, where a Hercules aircraft to the Colombian Air Force (FAC) send the body to Catam Air Force Base, in the nation’s capital.
Gaza: IAF strikes truck transporting 160 Qassam rockets
Published: 03.01.08, 20:02 / Israel News
The Israeli Air Force struck a truck transporting 160 Qassam rockets and several gunmen. The IAF reported a confirmed hit. (Hanan Greenberg)
Yes he was FARC # 2
Adam this is huge news for Colombia and Venezuela please this should be in the main page.
Full article here. big day for Colombia, great!!!!
http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/notas/Marzo012008/raulr.html
“Fue dado de baja alias Raúl Reyes, es el golpe más contundente que se le ha dado este grupo terrorista”, con esta frase el ministro de la Defensa, Juan Manuel Santos, acaba de confirmar la muerte de uno de los miembros del Secretariado de las Farc, lo que se convierte en el principal golpe a este grupo ilegal.
Santos anunció la noticia al país en rueda de prensa realizada en el Ministerio de la Defensa, en la cual estuvo acompañado la cúpula militar, la cual dejó expresar en sus rostros la satisfacción por el operativo.
Santos, quien leyó un comunicado, informó que la acción militar se inició a las 12:25 minutos de la madrugada, luego de haber recibido información de una fuente humana que permitió identificar la ubicación de Reyes.
Explicó que tras iniciado el operativo, las Farc respondieron con un ataque a los aviones de la Fuerza Aérea, el cual se produjo desde unos 1.800 metros distante de la frontera.
Santos igualmente confirmó que el miembro del secretariado fue abatido en un campamento que las Farc tenían instalado en territorio ecuatoriano, por lo cual los integrantes de la Fuerza Pública entraron al vecino país a recuperar los cuerpos.
El dato
Luis Edgar Devia Silva, alias Raúl Reyes, es uno de los hombres de confianza de alias Tirofijo y responsable de acciones subrversivas en el sur del país. Ha sido el vocero más importante de la guerrilla de las Farc.
El ministro sostuvo que dicha acción fue informada de manera inmediata por el presidente de la República, Alvaro Uribe Vélez a su homólogo del Ecuador, Rafael Correa.
La acción militar, la más contundente contra la organización de las Farc, también permitió dar de baja al ideólogo de las Farc, Guillermo Enrique Torres, alias “Julián Conrrado”.
En el histórico operativo murió el soldado Carlos Hernández León, nacido el 27 de agosto de 1974 en Villavicencio.
El cádaver de Reyes será traslado a Bogotá, a donde llegará hacia las 2 de la tarde, en un operativo dirigido por los altos mandos militares. Previamente, el cuerpo fue remitido en un helicóptero al aeropuerto de Puerto Asís, Putumayo, desde donde un avión Hércules de la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC) remitirá el cadáver a la Base Aérea de Catam, en la capital del país.
I’d like to know why we kowtow to an organization who’s very existence violates US law.
I didn’t know about the oil in Lake Michigan but I suspect there’s more elsewhere, and ample reason for the US to have not advertised it’s existence. -Rod-
Rod – there is also an abundance of oil in Lake Michigan…. and if there, it make me wonder what other large bodies of water also conceal oil.
We have it here – unfortunately, our government fails to disclose this information and environmentalists choose to present only one side of the argument. What will exploration do to our ecosystem.
But, I ask, what will our continued dependence on foreign oil do to our security?
Another argument I have for advancing the use of oil here, is that we already know how to harvest and refine it….. At this same time, we can move forward on our research and development of alternative sources of energy.
But, with our hands tied behind our back – we continue to pay highly to a system controlled by a monopoly – OPEC.
Don’t get me wrong… I don’t oppose research for alternate sources of energy – just object to using a food source as one.
Not only does the increased cost of the food source affect the worlds hungry, it costs all of us more…. we will and are seeing higher costs of cereals and breads, for example. Our cost of dairy and meat products also increase, as these same grains are used to feed the animals…..
It’s ridiculous, K2. Oil off the Kalifornia coast, the Gulf, ANWR…but politically we’re too stupid to drill it out. If we’re saving it for a rainy day, I’d say the time has come. -Rod-
Rod – yep, just another reason to not use food as a source of fuel…..
we have plenty of fossil fuel left off the shores of our nation and in the great lakes….
But, no the government wants to subsidize turning food into fuel instead of permitting the building of nuclear power plants, more oil exploration and drilling in our waters / land, and the building of more refineries…..
But, we can allow people to starve.
The world’s hungry soon will find even slimmer pickings when it comes to emergency food aid from the United States, whose humanitarian relief agency is scaling back amid skyrocketing global prices, The Washington Post reports.
The U.S. Agency for International Development plans to reduce the number of recipient nations, the amount of food given or a combination, the story says.
Officials based their decision on a 41 percent increase in the cost of wheat, corn, rice and other cereals over the last six months, which resulted in a $120 million budget shortfall that is expected to rise to $200 million by 2009.
The prices have risen as more of the grains are being consumed by biofuel production and fast-growing markets in China and India, The Washington Post reports.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334255,00.html
Avi,
i always read your posts…..
thanks for keeping us informed.
Avi, here’s a link to an article by Mike Tobin (Fox reporter in Israel) ….. it has a link to email fox / mike
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328585,00.html
ADAM,
GET FOX TO COVER THE STUFF HERE ITS IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is a fast growing weed- the things I learn here- LOL
One site said they were not selling them anymore– maybe from yesterday’s incident-
I hope Chavez doesn’t get the idea to grow them–
the plant looks like a fast growing weed to me…but, what do i know.
they even sell non-plantable seeds to be used as mole repellants (probably killers, but repellant is a much nicer word)
You can by them on the net…..people sell them for planting in yards……but, the site does warn of their toxicity.
The Castor Bean plant is native to tropical Africa. It is cultivated in huge amounts in the United States and around the world for its oil, which has many uses, both industrial and otherwise.
It is amazing how one can take a bean plant and find a way to make it lethal-
If he had castor beans, where did he get them? It is not like the motel grows them- I read New Jersey grows the plant-
India is the world’s leader in castor oil production, but commercial production also occurs in California and the southern United States, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Morocco, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Haiti, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Peru, China, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Ethiopia.
http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/latest/~3/243884106/0,2933,334253,00.html
men training women to use bombs-
Alfredo–
this is good news about Raúl Reyes- did I read there were a few more deaths too along with his?
2 IDF SODLIERS KILLED
At least 10 Gaza civilians, including 5 children, among dead
2 IDF sodliers, 46 Palestinians killed in Gaza
By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel, Mijal Grinberg, and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Tags: Qassam, IDF, Gaza, Hamas
Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers and at least 46 Palestinians were killed in an ongoing IDF ground incursion near the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabaliya.
Palestinians say that 10 civilians, including five children and three women, were among the dead in the raid that began before dawn Saturday.
Five other IDF soldiers were wounded during the fighting – three of them lightly and two others who suffered light to moderate wounds. The soldiers were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva for treatment.
Advertisement
Sources in Gaza report that IDF soldiers exchanged heavy gunfire with Palestinian gunmen on the eastern outskirts of Jabaliya, situated 2-3 kilometers from the fence which lies on the Israel-Gaza border.
The ground forces, which included units from Givati Brigades, the Armored Corps, and the Engineering Corps, received air support from the Israel Air Force.
IAF planes launched missiles at groups of armed Palestinians during the fighting.
The dead civilians are believed to include a 17-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother, a 45-year-old man and his 20-year-old son, and two sisters thought to be in their early 20s.
Tareq Dardouna, a resident of the Jabaliya area, told The Associated Press that a relative was killed outside his home in the crossfire that began raging at 3 A.M.
“His body is still on the ground,” Dardouna said in a telephone interview from his home, where he was tending to four wounded people. “Ambulances tried to come, but they came under fire. … We are in a real war.”
Hamas fighters were unbowed by the spiraling violence.
“The Zionist forces failed in Gaza before,” said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’ military wing. “We will respond to any aggression… with every available means.”
The remaining Palestinians killed were members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The sisters and another civilian were killed by tank shells that struck two houses in separate attacks, Palestinian officials said. Rescue teams evacuated a 7-month-old boy from one of the houses, unharmed.
An IDF spokesperson said the army would look into reports of tank shells hitting houses.
Senior officials said Saturday that the increasing number of Qassams fired at the western Negev has no bearing on the continued military raids into Gaza.
Rather than making due with pinpoint strikes against rocket launchers, the army is recommending a series of steps against Hamas targets in Gaza.
Witnesses said one clash erupted early Saturday when Hamas gunmen engaged IDF troops backed by helicopters that had entered the Gaza Strip.
IDF troops have been operating on the outskirts of Beit Hanun in the northern Strip since Thursday night.
At least 58 Palestinians have been killed, including 17 children, since Wednesday. The IDF launched raids and air strikes in the coastal territory in the wake of a massive Qassam rocket barrage on the western Negev that killed an Israeli civilian.
Rice, Solana to visit region to discuss peace talks
Next week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to visit the region to try to prod Israel and moderate Palestinians forward in their bid to reach a peace accord by the end of the year. The two sides declared that goal at a U.S.-sponsored conference in November.
Senior European diplomat Javier Solana will also visit the region beginning Sunday, to encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to keep the peace process on track, his office said in a statement.
Were there castor beans found in this guy’s room too? On Redeye last night, Dr. Baden mentioned castor beans being found in the room-
Like Rod said– too many stories being circulated-
Crystal meth is made in kitchens– so I guess you can make anything anywhere- if you know what you are doing–
From Fox’s story: “Greg Evans, director of the Institute for Biosecurity at Saint Louis University in Missouri, said the man’s respiratory illness suggested he was exposed to a powder fine enough to float in the air.”
(Which is why I wonder if “100% Ricin” meant literally 100%)
I’m a thinkin’ that this wasn’t made at Extended Stay, but elsewhere, which means a lab is out there.
http://www.eltiempo.com/conflicto/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3981514.html
Great News in Colombia. FARC secretary dead.
He was making deals with
Chavez and Piedad cordoba to free only a few prissoners. from (700) in exchange, the terrorist organization wanted to obtain political status and recognition.
Good for the Colombian government.
I think when they say “100% Ricin” they are simply saying there’s “No doubt” it’s ricin. -Rod-
I’m wondering if LVPD actually understands what they’re dealing with. “100% Ricin” doesn’t exactly sound too astute, does it?
Now, we’ve got an Anarchist’s Cookbook in the mix, and for the life of me, I don’t think the book gives specific instructions on how to aerosolize (technically weaponize) ricin. I must’ve missed that part?
Chemists, anyone?
5% of the castor bean is ricin, and extracting it from the mash is probably not all that complicated, but to refine it in a hotel room? If there’s the AC inside, well, would we expect to hear about something like a cold press or some sort of makeshift lab inside?
Something’s funky.
Okay Adam are you home or in Vegas for the story? I am easily confused!
Remember a story about a Mexican flag that some shop owner was flying above an American flag and some old vet cut it down? We all put together a letter and some goodies, circulated it among about a dozen of us, each of us signing it, and we mailed it to him. It took us months to do it… -Rod-
BTW, I replied to your reply earlier this evening. You could do more…people are curious about you. They’ll makes friends if you let them…long term ones, believe me. -Rod-
It seems like the net media has many different versions though. -Rod-
FNC showed the police give a conference where the police laid out what happened.
FOX’s site uses the words “anarchist type textbook” , which I assume is indeed The Anarchist’s Cookbook. You can understand why they’d not want to use the name. -Rod-
CNN’s site doesn’t mention a book, nor police assistance in an eviction. It says the manager initiated eviction sometime after the guy went to the hospital and relatives found the ricin…
- cops are called by mangement to assist with eviction notice
- when cops arrive they find book tabbed to instructions on how to make ricin
- cops leave without ricin
- friend or relative goes to room to get sick guy’s stuff
- friend finds ricin brings it to management
- management calls police
- police come back and confiscate ricin
The book was found first.
KT,
I don’t know the order that things happened or when/if a book was found, so I have no answers. -Rod-
So, the police go into the ricin guy’s room to help serve an eviction notice, they notice an Anarchist’s Cookbook that was flagged to the topic of ricin. The police leave without any ricin in hand. Then some guy whose either a friend or relative goes into the room, finds ricin and brings it to the manager of the hotel?
This isn’t making any sense. If he didn’t know it was ricin then why didn’t the guy just toss it out or why didn’t he just pack it up with the sick guy’s belongings? If he knew it was ricin or even confused it with cocaine or another drug, then why would he bring it to the manager?
None of this is making sense.
Then the police go back to investigate the ricin but didn’t find ricin the first time when they found the book on how to make ricin. Did they look for ricin?
Susan,
She’s actually very well behaved. She scales the curtains in about a 1/2 second flat, but I just need to ask her to get down and she does. Yelling does no good, she’ll just freak. So I just ask. Cats are much smarter than people give them credit for. Respect is the key. Think of them like 3 year olds. -Rod-
Back again–
I just heard Adam and Dr. Baden on ricin– Greta’s-
Dr. Baden makes it sound like this is not so toxic–But from all other reports, it seems like it is-
there is much more to this story– Dr. Baden feels the dog needs to have an autopsy-
Rod–
looking forward to seeing Ginger scaling the curtains– Don’t taunt her-
now it is good night– (I am so curious now as to this ricin story- the guy was still alert when he was taken to the hospital and he neglected to mention the ricin– this makes my eyebrows go up a bit)
The hummingbirds are starting to pick up some but the Blackchins still haven’t shown up. You’ll know it as soon as I do
The girls are fine, Ginger’s just going into heat though
I’ve got some new pics of her climbing up on the curtains. I’ll try and remember to post them tomorrow. ‘Night! -Rod-
Susan,
It just takes a bit of safety training and a little practice. I could have you hitting a target at 100 yards in 30 minutes. To shoot really well…you either need a natural ability or years of shooting experience, preferably both. -Rod-
Rod-
And say hello to the girls– I haven’t seen any new pictures lately- the birds should be coming back?
I am headed to bed– have a good night!
Rod–
and watch me try to use one!
Susan,
Buy a decent rifle!
Back home I’d take a case to the range and have a blast…pun intended
A small 1/2 pounder (as shown) will shake the windows of a house a mile away. Some guys have put together 15 or 20 pounds of it in a cardboard box or some appliance and hit it with their ‘06 or .308 from 1/2 mile off…it do rock and roll… -Rod-
Yes Adam–
you are cute- And this I know first hand-
Now answer your trivia question!
Lord Rod–
what am I going to do with tannerite? I don’t even own a toy pistol–
Adam–
trivia question again you posted- someone emailed me the link-
Susan, It must be Hatfield…..here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote —- and the link –
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/ethics/issues/political/hatfield_congressional-record-statement.htm
Reason he voted against the war- maybe because he is a pacifist? -( conscientious objector) He falls in with somebody who refuses to perform military service or take part in a war-
I think there is A LOT more to the story too…
and I agree w/ deb in tn..
Adam is the best looking reporter on Fox….
Hey Adam..
I haven’t posted in awhile..saw you on Greta doing your update on the ricin..great report..there is something fishy going on there…hope you get to the bottom of it..
I still think you are the best looking reporter on FOX!!!(no blushing)..lol
deb in tn
If you want to have some fun, get some of this stuff. It’s called Tannerite, is available online, and the last time I looked it was still legal in all 50 states. Just make sure you do not mix it until just before you use it or you’ll run afoul of federal laws regarding the storage of explosives. It can only be exploded by hitting the container with a high powered rifle round…usually that means at least a 52gr. .223 round or larger. It will not burn, won’t go off if hit with a .22 nor a handgun round. A cherry bomb buried in it won’t detonate it. It’s fun stuff…make sure you’re at least 100 yards away, preferably more if your shooting skills are up to the task:
I don’t recall if the book had a recipe for Ricin or not. It’s been a decade or three since I read it
But if he made it from a recipe in the AC, he’s a good object lesson. The book doesn’t tell everything that needs to be known about whatever the subject is. If the info isn’t downright wrong, then it fails to tell the reader about all the possible hazards. When making AP, does it say anything about the reaction getting too hot? Probably not… lots of explosives will just spontaneously detonate while mixing…either from heat or friction or static or improper proportions of ingredients, etc. So this guy may have successfully made Ricin and killed himself in the process. -Rod-
K2 that was impressive!! How young and yet so good at it! That baby is going to go places!
I just read your Al-Majid was nicknamed “Chemical Ali” for ordering poison gas attacks that killed thousands….
Hmm– why would he have one? Sounds suspicious to me–
The Anarchist’s Cookbook is a book detailing how to make homemade bombs and explosives, other stuff…much of which is either worthless or more dangerous to people who would make the stuff than anyone else. To be honest, only an idiot would trust anything in it. -Rod-
KC-
I saw your replied back in the tax thread- boy that is a full thread-
Yes- I completed the river rock project! LOL
A former congressman was the only Republican to vote against the first gulf war.
Adam– unless I missed your answer, is it Hatfield?