U of TX tests come back positive for Ricin

ITPjohn

ITPjohn

SAC Class of 05
Premium Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
847
Reaction score
0
This is not good. At least no one was hurt. I remmy the anthrax episodes following 9/11. It can happen again.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225...b5I2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

UT Tests Come Back Positive for Ricin
1 hour, 4 minutes ago
Sat February 25, 2006


A University of Texas student found a substance that has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, in a roll of quarters she was using to do laundry in her dormitory, officials said.

The student and her roommate were being treated for potential exposure to the poison, although neither has exhibited symptoms, said Dr. Theresa Spalding of UT Student Health Services.

The student told university police she found the chunky powder Thursday as she was doing her laundry at the Moore-Hill dormitory, Spalding said. Preliminary tests for ricin came back positive Friday.

"We were very concerned as soon as we heard about the positive testing late this evening," Spalding said. She said the quarters had been in the students' dorm room for several months.

Ricin is extracted from castor beans and can be added to food or water, injected or sprayed as an aerosol. It can be in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.

Symptoms can include anything from difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea and sweating to severe vomiting and dehydration.

The dorm was sanitized and inspected, and students were cleared to return, the university said.

___

On the Net:

http://www.utexas.edu/

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp


Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
 
U of TX-Austin has a pretty sizable Arabic student population. I think they have an Arabic student's commitee. I met some very good Palestinians and Lebanese students studying at U of TX-Austin and they went about their business.

There are some good Arabic students who are serious about improving their lives while there are bad Arabic students that come to study in our universites in order to increase their terroristic agenda.

Ricin is very easy to make but also very dangerous. I am not happy about it.

I know that near Barnes and Nobles they have a Lebanese resturant where you can eat and see all the Arabic students of every islamic country go to the resturant to eat and hang out there. The resturant is around the corner from Barnes and Nobles then the U of TX-Austin is right across the street right there opposite where Barnes and Nobles is.
 
Man, that's insane. I can't tell you how many times, when I lived in dorms or used public laundromats, I would find powder of some sort left over from people's detergent. Scary! So somebody put this in her roll of quarters? I'd wonder where the ricin was put in it; I'd be trying to trace that roll and see if there were others...eeeeek!
 
As a investigating detective...

I would check who the girl that is dating and if it is a muslim boy then it is more than likely he was making ricin and his girlfriend had no idea he was a terrorist.
 
VamPyroX said:
How did it get there in the first place?
Click to expand...
Ricin is fairly easy to make so it could have come from a variety of sources. She may have been a target or an innocent bystander. Some universities have very clever people with too much time on their hands and I'm surprised that things like this do not happen more often.
There have actually been a few incidents of ricin just in the past few weeks.


I would not, however, blame it on any mid-eastern students. Somewhere here in my notes (need to find them) are statistics on the use of ricin. A majority of attacks occur from non-muslim terrorists...in fact, most of it here in the US is some form of domestic terrorism. I'd have to dig up the numbers, but the Arab community within that college should not be looked at any more than any others in the college. I try not to profile, but I'd guess a younger white male who is disgruntled about something (perhaps the girl was the target).
 
Taylor said:
Ricin is fairly easy to make so it could have come from a variety of sources. She may have been a target or an innocent bystander. Some universities have very clever people with too much time on their hands and I'm surprised that things like this do not happen more often.
There have actually been a few incidents of ricin just in the past few weeks.


I would not, however, blame it on any mid-eastern students. Somewhere here in my notes (need to find them) are statistics on the use of ricin. A majority of attacks occur from non-muslim terrorists...in fact, most of it here in the US is some form of domestic terrorism. I'd have to dig up the numbers, but the Arab community within that college should not be looked at any more than any others in the college. I try not to profile, but I'd guess a younger white male who is disgruntled about something (perhaps the girl was the target).
Click to expand...

That's right, Taylor.

Heath, you better not accuse anyone especially Muslim. Do you have proof?
 
Taylor said:
Ricin is fairly easy to make so it could have come from a variety of sources. She may have been a target or an innocent bystander. Some universities have very clever people with too much time on their hands and I'm surprised that things like this do not happen more often.
There have actually been a few incidents of ricin just in the past few weeks.


I would not, however, blame it on any mid-eastern students. Somewhere here in my notes (need to find them) are statistics on the use of ricin. A majority of attacks occur from non-muslim terrorists...in fact, most of it here in the US is some form of domestic terrorism. I'd have to dig up the numbers, but the Arab community within that college should not be looked at any more than any others in the college. I try not to profile, but I'd guess a younger white male who is disgruntled about something (perhaps the girl was the target).
Click to expand...

That would be messed up but yeah.... got to cover all the bases, just to make sure.

I have seen " How to make ricin " on the internet and reported it to the Pennsylvania State Police where I live and to the FBI.
 
Mookie said:
That's right, Taylor.

Heath, you better not accuse anyone especially Muslim. Do you have proof?
Click to expand...

Hi Mookie,

A muslim would naturally be a suspect .....

but I would check another places too meanwhile still keeping tabs just to be on the safe side.
 
Heath said:
Hi Mookie,

A muslim would naturally be a suspect .....

but I would check another places too meanwhile still keeping tabs just to be on the safe side.
Click to expand...


Everyone there (including outsiders) is a natural suspect...not muslims. Yes, they should be looked at, but the same as everyone else. Being Muslim does not equal motive. As I said, most are domestic terrorism, but international terrorism can't be ruled out.

There are A LOT of groups operating within the US that are not related to any organization outside of the US. You would be surprised at the number of domestic terrorist groups that operate here...Like I said, this college incident stinks of domestic and is probably a disgruntled student.

When you are bored, take a peek at --This Page-- There is some information and a handful of cases listed involving ricin.
 
Powder in dorm not Ricin

FBI: Powder Found in Texas Dorm Not Ricin
38 minutes ago
Sunday Feb 26, 2006

The FBI determined a powdery substance found in a roll of quarters at a University of Texas dormitory was not ricin after initial state tests had indicated it was the potentially deadly poison, a spokesman said Sunday.

The FBI tests did not identify the substance, but they came back negative for the poison that is extracted from castor beans, said San Antonio FBI spokesman Rene Salinas.

"There were no proteins in there to indicate it was in fact ricin," Salinas said. He said was unlikely further testing would be done.

Texas health officials did "just a quick test and they don't check for the proteins in ricin," Salinas said.

The mystery powder spilled onto Kelly Heinbaugh's hands as she unwrapped a roll of quarters in her dorm room on Thursday. She said she'd used five other rolls of quarters her mother had gotten from the same bank and none had powder in them.

The a 19-year-old freshman and her roommate were both evaluated for possible exposure to ricin and cleared at a hospital.

Roughly 400 residents of the Moore-Hill dormitory were evacuated Friday night while hazardous materials crews sanitized the area where the substance was found.

Salinas said it was unclear whether the FBI would continue its investigation into how the substance ended up with the coins.

If it was put there as a joke, Salinas said "it was an extremely bad joke."

___

On the Net:

http://www.utexas.edu/

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
 
Back
Top