PID News

Scott SFB is located near Belleville, Illinois

KMOX and CBS in the East St. Louis area are today reporting a suspicious package that may have precipitated the illness of at least 3 postal workers. Thirteen employees of the Scott Air Force Base mail center (yes, the article said ’13′) have been decontaminated and three have been admitted to the hospital after coming across a package that emitted a “sulphur-like smell’.

This comes just three days after a Florida post office reported encountering a suspicious smell that left workers nauseous and dizzy.

Tampa Fire Rescue’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to the scene and evacuated the building’s first floor after two workers complained of nausea and dizziness after smelling a licorice type of odor coming from a package.. (WTSP report at www.wtsp.com)

Although responders eventually credited the illnesses with exposure to leaking grease, this new incident at Scott AFB raises the ugly possibility that this is intentional. Given that 9/11/11 is only ten days away, this possibility grows even more probable.

Add this to the 13 arson fires in Flint, Michigan earlier this month.

INDIANAPOLIS (FOX59.COM) — A rash of fires near downtown Indianapolis has left one person dead and another in critical condition. It was a busy Tuesday morning for the Indianapolis Fire Department. Crews battled 10 fires between midnight and 6:30 a.m. The first five were quickly ruled arson. Those five fires all occurred between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. on the near east and south side of Indianapolis.

via Arson Fires: 10 early morning fires near downtown Indianapolis under investigation; one dead – fox59.com.

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) — Hours ahead of what are expected to be massive displays of anti-government ferment across the world’s most populous Arab nation, the internet went dark in parts of Egypt early Friday, and text messaging appeared to be blocked.

via Egyptians brace for Friday protests as internet, messaging disrupted – CNN.com.

Internet rumors proved to be true. The ‘discrepancy’ is only about 1/4 of a teaspoon, the spokeswoman reported. Any discrepancy should cause concern, particularly in a nerve agent so potent and long-lasting as this one. — PID

(CNN) — A Utah military facility that tests chemical and biological weapons was opened Thursday after a nearly 12-hour lockdown that officials said was prompted by a missing vial of “nerve agent.”

“On January 26, during a routine inventory of sensitive material in the chemical laboratory, Dugway officials discovered a discrepancy between the records and the agent on hand,” said a statement issued by the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground. “As a precaution, the commander immediately locked down the installation and began efforts to identify the cause of the discrepancy.”

via Utah base open after missing nerve agent vial located, officials say – CNN.com.

UPDATE: As of this morning, personnel are once again allowed to come and go. Dugway spokeswoman, Paula Thomas, has promised a news conference at 1:30 pm Mountain Time (Utah time).  According to the Associated Press, Post Commander Willliam E. King had said on Wednesday that “We are working as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to resolve a serious concern within the Test Area. … Measures like these (lock down of our gates) are not taken lightly. No one is in immediate danger but these steps are required.” Dugway is about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

Though the article doesn’t state the cause, the net rumors indicate that containers of VX nerve gas might be missing. We’ll confirm or dismiss this rumor tonight on PID Radio. — PID

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 27 UPI — The U.S. Armys Dugway Proving Ground in Utah was locked down to resolve what the commander said was a “serious concern within the Test Area.

Officials were working to reopen the base Thursday after its gates were closed around 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time, Wednesday, CNN reported.

via Dugway Proving Ground in Utah locked down – UPI.com.

(AP) — Thousands of Egyptians vented their rage against President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic government in a second day of protests Wednesday that defied a ban on public gatherings. Baton-wielding police responded with tear gas and beatings in a crackdown that showed zero tolerance for dissent.

Egypt’s largest anti-government protests in years echoed the uprising in Tunisia, threatening to destabilize the leadership of the most important U.S. ally in the Arab world. The ability of the protesters to sustain the momentum for two days in the face of such a heavy-handed police response was a rare feat in this country.

via Egypts protests enter 2nd day, ominous for regime – Yahoo! News.

MOSCOW (AP) — An explosion shook the busiest airport in the Russian capital on Monday afternoon and an aviation official said an unspecified number of people were killed.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion in the international baggage-claim area at Domodedovo airport.

more via Moscow Airport Explosion: LIVE UPDATES On Domodedovo Airport Blast VIDEO.