Outside the Beltway

BIO AGENTS FOUND

James Joyner · Wednesday, October 8, 2003 · 1 comment

Army Times reports,

The U.S. government — in particular, the Defense Department — appears to be a much larger proliferator of biological weapons materials than axis-of-evil alumnus Iraq.

Undercover investigators with the nonpartisan General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, say they were able to use phony names and a fictitious company to buy government-surplus lab equipment well suited for creating biological warfare agents.

However, in some cases, the undercover agents were outbid by private companies and individuals, many of whom then resell the equipment overseas to people in such countries such as the Philippines, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The GAO investigators were also able to buy U.S. military chemical protective suits and gear — including unexpired suits in their original packaging — even though supply shortages have been reported for some active-duty units.

The investigators bought the equipment on public auctions at the government’s Internet site.

Amazing.