The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "Biological weapons" ...
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Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Conman who caused a war
The book lays out the defining story of the pre-intelligence failure in Iraq. It focuses on CURVE BALL, the American-issued code name for a young Iraqi chemical engineer who defected to Germany in 1999. During dozens of debriefings with German intelligence officers, he claimed that he had helped design and build sophisticated biological weapons for Saddam Hussein." The story was a hoax, yet the CIA used this evidence as its pretext for war despite numerous warnings about the validity of the claims. Only after its invasion of Iraq did the US formally acknowledge that CURVE BALL was a fraud.
Tags: CIA; Iraq; weapons of mass destruction; WMD; war on terror; terrorism; George Tenet; George W. Bush; Colin Powell; intelligence; Dick Cheney; Bill Drogin; spies
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Curve Ball
"This is the story of how an Iraqi con man fooled the world's top intelligence agencies. He was code named "Curve Ball" and his testimony - that Saddam Hussein had mobile biological weapons - provided the backbone of the administration's case for going to war."
Tags: con job; Curve Ball; war on terror; Iraq war; Iraqi; biological weapons; Rafid Ahmed Alwan; bioterrorism;
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Betrayed
A former health inspector and environmental health specialist is now permanently disabled because of his exposure to toxic mold at his workplace, the Southern Nevada Health District's Environmental Health Wing, and he's not the only worker affected. Although his employer knew the problem existed (and was serious, as they are the agency that investigates and shuts down mold-infected sites) they fought correcting the situation, refused to re-locate infected workers, and contested their disability claims.
Tags: Mold; Air quality; Southern Nevada Health District; Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at UNLV; rashes; Keck School of Medicine Environmental Sciences Laboratory at USC; Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada; U.S. Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act; Dan Pauluk; Apergillus; Stachybotrys; Yellow Rain; Aflatoxin; Saddam Hussein; Biological Weapons
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Danger Dismissed: How the Pentagon downplays the risks of depleted uranium weapons
Evans discovers that the veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War "have a disability rate three times as high as that of Vietnam and World War II veterans," and that this trend may be the result of using depleted uranium weapons. His eight-chapter series takes an in-depth look at the science of depleted uranium weapons, centralizing his focus around Matt Rohman, a Gulf War veteran who lives every day in pain. Evans explores different concepts of radiobiology, geology, radiation physics, and health science, and takes a look at what depleted uranium weapons could mean for today's soldier.
Tags: depleted uranium weapons; Pentagon; Gulf War Syndrome; Gulf War illness; war-related illness; ill veterans; nerve disorders; Lou Gehrig's disease; nuclear weapons; chronic fatigue; bystander effect; radioactive dust; military munitions; depleted uranium exposure; veterans with cancer; pyridostigmine bromide; chemical weapons; biological weapons; Fort Eustis; C-4 plastic explosive
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Mask Confusion
Indiana began buying equipment after 911 that would protect police, firefighters, and medics from a weapon of mass destruction. In a statewide investigation, WISH-TV showed that the state purchased gas masks that put first responders in danger. They proved the state broke both state and federal laws by even making the decision on what masks to buy. First responders admitted they did not want to wear the masks because they would not protect them. Some of the comments include: "I want the better mask", "We're going to get first responders hurt or killed." The investigation prompted the state to reconsider the multi-million dollar purchase and return the gas masks.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; police; firefighters; paramedics; weapon of mass destruction; gas masks; OSHA; U.S. Department of Justice; emergency rescue; mustard gas; silicone mask; butyl mask; Biological weapons; chemical weapons; nuclear weapons; U.S. Army's Dugway; Tipecanoe County; Marion County; respiratory hazard
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed the world's largest biological weapons program. Today, the Russian funding for the program has been cut, but the altered diseases and the scientists with the deadly expertise still remain in Russia and the Soviet empire's former republics. Twelve years ago, the United States began paying millions of dollars to employ Russian ex-scientists to protect the hazardous materials. This investigation shows that the United States funded program is not entirely successful; many labs remain in dangerous states of neglect and Russia still refuses to admit entry to its military controlled biological labs.
Tags: biological weapons; security; Kazakhstan; science; plague; smallpox; terrorism
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Made in the USA
This article uncovers the various law suits that have been filed by some 3,500 sick vets from the first Gulf War against American companies that have supplied weapons to the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. The supply of weapons include nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The article goes back in history when presidents Ronald Regan and George Bush were proponents of this aid to Iraq. The article looks at the fact that the initial aid given to Iraq was economically favorable for the U.S.
Tags: First Gulf War; war on terrorism; Saddam Hussein; George Bush; Ronald Regan; biological weapons; veteran soldiers
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Made in the USA
Crogan's series returns to the issue of American companies that supplied Saddam Hussein's regime with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missile technology. His stories look at both industrial and government bodies that had financial ties to Hussein, even going so far as to create an on-line searchable database for these companies and government entities.
Tags: Iraq; Hussein; Gulf War; weapons of mass destruction; WMD; business; international
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
Lewis Simons and Lynn Johnson travel around the world to give weapons of mass destruction a human face. They visit with survivors of Hiroshima, bio-weapon scientists from Russia and government officials in Iran. The piece attempts to quantify and qualify the threat of a biological, chemical or nuclear attack on the United States but the authors conclude it's practically impossible.
Tags: weapons of mass destruction; biological; chemical; nuclear; Russia; United States; terrorism; military; Iran; Iraq; Syria; Pakistan; India; Israel; Egypt; China; North Korea; Soviet Union; Hiroshima; death; anthrax; plague; smallpox; fear; panic; destruction
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Prophecies of Terror, Attacking bin Laden, The Hunt for bin Laden, The Merchants of Mass Destruction
A four-part CBS News investigative series reports into the "closed world of Osama bin Laden." The first part features an interview with a former Pakistani intelligence officer, mentor and friend of bin Laden, who warns that America has no idea of the might of Islam in a potential holy war. The second report examines the 1998 missile attack against bin Laden, and the role it played to transform the terrorist into a hero. The third part looks at bin Laden through the eyes of the people of his inner circle and other Muslims, and reveals that they view him as an "Islamic Robin Hood," who supports widows and orphans. The fourth part discovers that chemical and biological weapons from the old Soviet Union stockpile are being sold in the Afghan black market.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; charity; orphanages; Islam; Muslims; religion; Jihad; holy war; Saudi Arabia; Sept. 11; World Trade Center