[v911t] US Involved in Bird Flu Conspiracy, Says Indonesia's Health Minister
Kathy Roberts
US involved in bird flu conspiracy: Indonesia 20 Feb 2008 (Transcript
from AM, Australia's ABC.) Peter Cave: Indonesia's Health Minister
has suggested that the United States may be involved in a conspiracy
to use the bird flu virus to develop biological weapons. The
extraordinary allegation is included in a new book, endorsed by
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which describes Indonesia's
fight to assert its ownership of its virulent strains of avian
influenza. Concerns over that issue prompted Indonesia last year
to stop sharing virus samples with the World Health Organization
as Jakarta correspondent Geoff Thompson reports. Dr Supari expresses
alarm at WHO laboratories sharing bird flu virus data with the
United States national laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where
nuclear weapons are developed.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2167325.htm
US involved in bird flu conspiracy: Indonesia PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL
STORY AM - Wednesday, 20 February , 2008 08:24:00 Reporter: Geoff
Thompson PETER CAVE: Indonesia's Health Minister has suggested that
the United States may be involved in a conspiracy to use the bird
flu virus to develop biological weapons.
The extraordinary allegation is included in a new book, endorsed
by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which describes Indonesia's
fight to assert its ownership of its virulent strains of avian
influenza.
Concerns over that issue prompted Indonesia last year to stop sharing
virus samples with the World Health Organization as Jakarta
correspondent Geoff Thompson reports.
GEOFF THOMPSON: No country in the world has been hit by bird flu
like Indonesia. Already this year 11 people have died and ten of
those were from Jakarta or surrounding areas.
Indonesia's uniquely virulent strain of H5N1 gave the country
"bargaining power" according to Indonesia's Health Minister Dr Siti
Fadilah Supari, in her new book called "It's Time for the World to
Change" and strangely subtitled "The Divine Hand Behind Avian
Influenza".
It's this bargaining power which led Dr Supari in late 2006 to stop
sharing Indonesia's strains of bird flu with World Health Organization
laboratories because of fears that any vaccines developed would
then be sold for profit to developing countries with no benefit to
Indonesia.
In essence, Indonesia sought to retain the "virus rights" and any
profits to be made from its bird flu problem.
Back then on AM, Dr Supari effectively accused Australia of stealing
Indonesia's strain of H5N1 to make bird flu vaccines.
SITI FADILAH SUPARI: I never, I never give permission to send sample
to the, send a specimen of the virus to Australia.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Now in her book Dr Supari has revealed, the full
scope of the conspiracy she believes she is up against. "Developed
countries become richer", she writes, "because they have the
capability to develop the vaccine and control the world".
Dr Supari expresses alarm at WHO laboratories sharing bird flu virus
data with the United States national laboratory in Los Alamos, New
Mexico, where nuclear weapons are developed.
"Whether they use is it to make vaccine or develop chemical weapons,
would depend on the need and interest of the US Government. It is
indeed a very dangerous situation for the destiny of humanity", she
writes and goes on to say ".. it is a matter of choice whether to
use the material for vaccines or biological weapon development".
Despite the clear implication contained in her book, last night Dr
Supari told the ABC, she didn't intend to accuse the United States
of being interested in turning H5N1 into a biological weapon.
SITI FADILAH SUPARI: I didn't know whether our virus will be develop
into a vaccine or will be develop into a biological weapon. So just
a question - I didn't blame United States, I didn't blame any
country.
PETER CAVE: Indonesia's Health Minister, Dr Siti Fadilah Supari,
speaking there to Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson.
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