Project Coast was the codename for a covert programme, established by the South African apartheid government in 1981, to develop a range of chemical and biological agents intended for use against opponents of the regime within and outside the state. This book examines the history of the project, its operation outside ordinary political, military and financial controls, through to its eventual demise in 1995. It draws on information made public at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, as well as evidence presented at the criminal trial of Dr Wouter Basson, the project's director.
This is a tale of military machination and scientific subterfuge, of combatants who disappeared without trace, and bizarre experiments carried out behind locked doors. In waging ‘total war’ during the 1970s and 1980s, South African securocrats demanded a ‘total strategy’, including secret and unconventional means to fight the perceived ‘total onslaught’ against the apartheid regime. Against that background, a group of scientists under military guidance crossed the threshold of an arcane realm, familiar to ordinary citizens only through the imaginations of fiction writers – a world marked by covert operations and germ warfare, high-stakes deals in the international arms bazaar, smoke and mirrors, plausible deniability. A world where intrigue and double-crossing are routine, where secret missions and sinister sub-plots are the milestones for life in the fast lane. Set against the backdrop of the international Cold War and South Africa’s bloody passage to democracy, the events related in this book were uncovered during ten years of investigation and made public by the trial of Wouter Basson, the first criminal prosecution in the world of the head of an official chemical and biological warfare programme. As the authors take you from combat zone to courtroom, read how one of the apartheid era’s best-kept secrets became the subject of one of the ‘new’ South Africa’s costliest legal exercises – and how the former military officer at the heart of both walked away a free man. Ten years have passed since Wouter Basson was acquitted of the criminal charges brought against him and Secrets and Lies was originally published. This eBook edition comes with a brand new foreword by author Chandre Gould.
• Covers the entire 2,000-mile route from Canada to Mexico, including alternate and side-route options • Information on lodging, camping, loading the bike, safe cycling, road conditions, weather, and more The Pacific Coast route is the most popular bike touring route in the U.S., according to Mountaineers Books’ non-profit partner, the Adventure Cycling Association. And for 33 years, our very own Bicycling the Pacific Coast was the most popular guidebook to this venerable route—until now! Cycling the Pacific Coast continues the trusted legacy with an all-new, completely re-ridden, and fully comprehensive guidebook from Bill Thorness, featuring the most current, up-to-date beta on this amazing route. Cycling the Pacific Coast is organized in five sections—Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Central California, and Southern California—and is useful to riders who plan to do the trip as one epic ride, or break it up to peddle sections at a time. Features include: • Suggested itineraries for the entire ride, or for one- and two-week trips • Logistics for getting to/from ride sections • Airport and train-station connections in all major cities (Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego) • Alternate routes to take on Vancouver Island (Canada), Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, and Northern California’s “Lost Coast” • Interesting and fun side trip destinations in 5 cities, on 2 islands, and in 2 wine country regions New bike tourers will find equipment information, packing advice, and safety tips, among other helpful trip suggestions. And all riders will find the guidance to experience the trip of a lifetime.
"Biological weapons are widely feared, yet rarely used. Biological weapons were the first weapon prohibited by an international treaty, yet the proliferation of these weapons increased after they were banned in 1972. Biological weapons are frequently called 'the poor man's atomic bomb,' yet they cannot provide the same deterrent capability as nuclear weapons. One of my goals in this book is to explain the underlying principles of these apparent paradoxes."—from Living Weapons Biological weapons are the least well understood of the so-called weapons of mass destruction. Unlike nuclear and chemical weapons, biological weapons are composed of, or derived from, living organisms. In Living Weapons, Gregory D. Koblentz provides a comprehensive analysis of the unique challenges that biological weapons pose for international security. At a time when the United States enjoys overwhelming conventional military superiority, biological weapons have emerged as an attractive means for less powerful states and terrorist groups to wage asymmetric warfare. Koblentz also warns that advances in the life sciences have the potential to heighten the lethality and variety of biological weapons. The considerable overlap between the equipment, materials and knowledge required to develop biological weapons, conduct civilian biomedical research, and develop biological defenses creates a multiuse dilemma that limits the effectiveness of verification, hinders civilian oversight, and complicates threat assessments. Living Weapons draws on the American, Soviet, Russian, South African, and Iraqi biological weapons programs to enhance our understanding of the special challenges posed by these weapons for arms control, deterrence, civilian-military relations, and intelligence. Koblentz also examines the aspirations of terrorist groups to develop these weapons and the obstacles they have faced. Biological weapons, Koblentz argues, will continue to threaten international security until defenses against such weapons are improved, governments can reliably detect biological weapon activities, the proliferation of materials and expertise is limited, and international norms against the possession and use of biological weapons are strengthened.
Under apartheid, South Africaas white minority regime felt threatened from within and outside its borders. The survival of the state was paramount in the minds of politicians and especially the military. Both shared a common belief that the country was at war, a total war which required a total response. To this end, a nuclear program was initiated in 1970 and the arms industry grew to a considerably large size. The leaders of the country decided to include chemical and biological weapons in their extensive arsenal, if only so that the military would have at its disposal a full range of a so-called range of unconventional weapons. The chemical and biological warfare program, code-named aCoast, a started in 1981 and officially ended in 1995, but that is still to be seen. Elimination Theory is the true story of my involvement as an informant/agent for the FBI, South African Intelligence, and the CIA during Project Coast and its networks in both the USA and South Africa.
"National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala takes readers on an unforgettable journey to 10 places where the ocean is virtually untouched by man, offering a fascinating glimpse into our past and an inspiring vision for the future. From the shark-rich waters surrounding Coco Island, Costa Rica, to the iceberg-studded sea off Franz Josef Land, Russia, this incredible photographic collection showcases the thriving marine ecosystems that Sala is working to protect. Offering a rare glimpse into the world's underwater Edens, more than 200 images take you to the frontier of the Pristine Seas expeditions, where Sala's teams explore the breathtaking wildlife and habitats from the depths to the surface--thriving ecosystems with healthy corals and a kaleidoscopic variety of colorful fish and stunning creatures that have been protected from human interference. With this dazzling array of photographs that capture the beauty of the water and the incredible wildlife within it, this book shows us the brilliance of the sea in its natural state."--
Intended for students and general readers alike, this encyclopedia covers the history of human medical experimentation, for better and worse, from the time of Hippocrates to the present. Thanks to medical experiments performed on human subjects, we now have vaccines against smallpox, rabies, and polio. Yet the advances that saved lives too often involved the exploitation of vulnerable populations. Covering the history of human medical experimentation from the time of Hippocrates to today, this work will introduce readers to the topic through a mixture of essays and ready-reference materials. The book covers the experiments themselves; the people, companies, and government agencies that carried them out; the relevant medical and sociopolitical background; and the legislation and other protective measures that arose as a result. The encyclopedia is divided chronologically into 6 periods: pre-19th century, the 19th century, the pre-World War II 20th century, the World War II era, the Cold War era, and the post-Cold War period to recent times. Each period begins with an introductory essay and ends with a bibliography. Alphabetically arranged entries in each section cover pertinent people, experiments, and topics. The volume is enriched throughout with a wealth of primary sources, such as physicians' descriptions of their experiments. Medical experiments are not just a thing of the past, and readers will also learn about questions and debates related to contemporary efforts to advance medical science.
More severe storms and rising seas will inexorably push the American coastline inland with profound impact on communities, infrastructure, and natural systems. In A New Coast, Jeffrey Peterson presents the science behind predictions for coastal impacts and explains how current policies fall short of what's needed to prepare for these changes. He outlines a framework of bold, new national policies and funding to support local and state governments. Peterson calls for engagement of citizens, the private sector, as well as local and national leaders in a "campaign for a new coast." This is a forward-looking volume offering new insights for policymakers, planners, business leaders preparing for the changes coming to America's coast.
As part of a study of current and future research in the life sciences that contains applications relevant to development of agents of biological origin 5 to 10 years into the future, an NRC/IOM committee held an international workshop in 2004 to examine advancing technologies from a global point of view. Experts from different fields and from around the world presented their diverse outlooks on these technologies and forces that drive technological progress; local and regional capacities for life sciences research, development, and application (both beneficial and nefarious); national perceptions of the dual-use risk of advancing technologies; and strategic measures that have been taken or could be taken to manage the use of technology for malevolent purposes. This report summarizes the formal and informal discussions held at the workshop.
