# The Black Plague vs the terrorists



## a_majoor (19 Jan 2009)

An interesting development, and one with various potential consequences:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2146286.ece



> *ANTI-TERROR bosses last night hailed their latest ally in the war on terror — the BLACK DEATH*.
> 
> At least 40 al-Qaeda fanatics died horribly after being struck down with the disease that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages.
> 
> ...


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## jollyjacktar (19 Jan 2009)

If true.  That would indeed throw a screw into them.  I hope it is, beautiful.  
Shame it was not our lot in Afghanistan infected.


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## The Bread Guy (19 Jan 2009)

As my hero would say....





*HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-haaaaaaaaaaaa....*


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## GAP (19 Jan 2009)

Revenge of the Rats!!!  ;D


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## Rifleman62 (19 Jan 2009)

Fleas. The rats were dead.


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## wannabe SF member (19 Jan 2009)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> Fleas. The rats were dead.



1) Terrorists ate the rats. 
2) fleas found convenient new homes in their beards.


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## Sonnyjim (19 Jan 2009)

Good Riddens those Rat Bastards (no pun intended)


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## Staff Weenie (19 Jan 2009)

Two questions need to be asked:

a.     Was this due to exposure to a normal reservoir of Yersinia pestis (found all over the world still); or

b.     Were these fools trying to monkey around and make a bio-weapon and got themselves infected instead?

As there was a previous outbreak in Algeria in 2003, it's probably the former. Perhaps Osama needs to hire a few PMed Techs....

Sadly - it'll probably burn itself out before it wipes out too many of them.


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## George Wallace (19 Jan 2009)

Can we spin it as being the "Wrath of God" ?


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## Armymedic (19 Jan 2009)

Guess they were to stupid to live,

or too cheap to buy some Tetracycline.


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## The Bread Guy (20 Jan 2009)

Staff Weenie said:
			
		

> Two questions need to be asked:
> 
> a.     Was this due to exposure to a normal reservoir of Yersinia pestis (found all over the world still); or
> 
> b.     Were these fools trying to monkey around and make a bio-weapon and got themselves infected instead?



If you believe this media account and its source, (b) - shared with the usual disclaimer....

*Al Qaeda bungles arms experiment*
Biological or chemical weapons
Eli Lake, United Press International, last updated 20 Jan 09
Article link (.pdf permalink)

An al Qaeda affiliate in Algeria closed a base earlier this month after an experiment with unconventional weapons went awry, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Monday.

The official, who spoke on the condition he not be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said he could not confirm press reports that the accident killed at least 40 al Qaeda operatives, but he said the mishap led the militant group to shut down a base in the mountains of Tizi Ouzou province in eastern Algeria.

He said authorities in the first week of January intercepted an urgent communication between the leadership of al Qaeda in the Land of the Maghreb (AQIM) and al Qaeda's leadership in the tribal region of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. The communication suggested that an area sealed to prevent leakage of a biological or chemical substance had been breached, according to the official.

"We don't know if this is biological or chemical," the official said....

_More on link_


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## Foxhound (20 Jan 2009)

Bring out yer dead! *clang*





Sorry, couldn't help myself, Python fan.  ;D

But, back on topic,



			
				Staff Weenie said:
			
		

> b.     Were these fools trying to monkey around and make a bio-weapon and got themselves infected instead?



...if, however unlikely, item b. turns out to be the jackpot, I hope somebody's on top of it.

Disturbing stuff. http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles2002/20021129.asp


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## KingKikapu (21 Jan 2009)

The Black Plague?

What?!?!


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## a_majoor (28 Jan 2009)

If you thought home made black plague was a scary idea:

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/005909.html



> *Home Genetic Engineering: What Happens When Its Easy? *
> 
> Homemade do-it-yourselfer genetically engineered organisms are still pretty difficult for hobbyists. But some people are already fiddling with the genetics of organisms at home.
> 
> ...


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