SOUTH AFRICAN BIOWAR AND THE WEST
The fact that polio and/or smallpox vaccines had a role in the spread
of the African AIDS epidemic is well-established. The outbreak of
the disease mirrors the administration of the vaccines, both geographically
and chronologically. America's leading AIDS experts such as
Dr. David Ho and Dr. Robert Gallo do not deny the possibility of such
a link- they simply ascribe it to "innocent" factors such as reuse of
contaminated needles.
However, our leading experts probably have little or no willingness
to speculate publicly about possibilities of deliberate contamination
or covert biological warfare.
Vaccines are implicated not on one continent, but two. American
gays saw their first known AIDS cases immediately after hepatitis B
vaccine administration in New York City. This means not only
two continents, but two different vaccines, two different sets of
circumstances under which the vaccines were administered. In the
case of Manhattan gays, the excuse of "reuse of contaminated needles"
does not apply.
In view of the fact that the vaccines apparently affected two different,
historically oppressed groups, yet did not similarly infect millions of
other recipients of many different vaccines, the concern for possible
covert, biological warfare seems warranted.
What evidence is there that the West might actually be of such a
character that would attempt such madness?
A fitting context is provided by the revelations recently unveiled
in South Africa's "Truth and Reconciliation" Commission, which
explored abuses of the apartheid-era white regime. Both black
and gay Americans would do well to familiarize themselves with
these findings, beyond the level of detail reported in the mainstream
press. Not only was there a level of genocidal intent by the South
African regime, but apparent U.S. and Western awareness, silence,
and effective complicity.
Among the abuses by the former government [1]:
* Developed lethal and chemical weapons that targeted ANC black leaders
and supporters, as well as populations living in black townships. These
weapons included an infertility toxin to secretly sterilize blacks;
skin-absorbing poisons to be applied to clothing of targets; and poison
concealed in products such as chocolates and cigarettes.
* Released cholera strains into water sources of certain South African
villages. Provided anthrax and cholera to government troops of
Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) during the late 1970s, to use against
rebel soldiers. In 1979 (the very time that gays were being innoculated
in Manhattan), the world's largest outbreak of anthrax took place in
Rhodesia, where thousands became ill. Zimbabwe's Minister of Health
has ordered an investigation into whether South Africa was involved in
the incident.
Other abuses [2]:
* Using black units as guinea pigs. Confidential military sources
suggested that members of the 31st Bushmen Battalion and other
black units in the old SADF were used as guinea pigs for experimental
drugs while they were treated for diseases and wounds in the 1st
Military Hospital in Pretoria.
* Planning to poison Nelson Mandela, to kill him or to disable him,
mentally.
* Using carcinogens and poison gas. Mandela was also contemplated as a
target of SA research into the effect of organophosphates and other
substances that enhance cancer. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki
testified before the TRC that the apartheid government assassinated
scores of opponents with poison. During the 1978 mass murders in
Kassinga, in Angola, victims were paralyzed with gas before they
were shot.
* Poisoning food: In 1977, during the "Black September" incident, tried
to poison the food of ANC cadres.
In other testimony [3], a South African scientist testified that the
government considered trying to develop bacteria that would kill
only blacks. A former head of the police forensics lab, General
Lothar Neethling, told the commission that he had been instructed
to supply narcotic drugs such as LSD and Mandrax, to extact
active ingredients for crowd-control grenades.
What was the state of knowledge of the U.S. and the West?
"The United States and its Cold War allies encouraged South
Africa's former white regime to develop a chemical and
biological warfare program" [4] according to testimony by
the program's director.
Dr. Wouter Basson, the steely-eyed general who has been
nicknamed "Dr. Death", and who headed the top-secret
projects, said that U.S. Intelligence officials were not
surprised when told that his researchers had explored using
cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy to "incapacitate" enemies.
Indeed, this should neither be surprising to American blacks
who are aware of CIA complicity in allowing crack cocaine
to be funneled into U.S. black communities.
Basson said that he was "warmly welcomed" by scientists
and others in the United States. In written notes, he said
that U.S. Air Force officials encouraged him to develop
joint "medical projects" with the United States, while other
top military and defense officials extolled the virtues of
chemical weapons.
It would be extremely naive to imagine that U.S. intelligence
did not know exactly what South Africa was doing. Our
country has the most sophisticated listening devices,
communications interception, spy satellites, and other
high-tech spying technology, in the world.
The U.S. was working closely with South African security
forces in Angola. It is the business of the U.S. intelligence
community to know everything possible about all governments
and crisis areas, in the world. There are virtually no countries
in the world, on which we do not collect information and
attempt to learn all secrets.
We are only finding out now what South Africa did,
years ago. We are finding out, only because power has
changed hands, removing the ability of the former power
to control information and censor truth.
No power has changed hands in America. However, we
should look at South Africa and draw a straightforward
conclusion. If our country was willing to be complicit
in the dirty secrets of South African biological warfare,
then our own, far-more powerful country might also be
covering its own dirty secrets, of acts even more
murderous, more sophisticated, and more cleverly
covered-up by professional propaganda.
Tom Keske
Boston, Mass.
REFERENCES:
[1] What Happened in South Africa?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plague/sa/
[2] South African Chemical/Biological War, by De Wet Potgieter
http://www.caw.com/CAQ/caq63/caq63apartheid.html
[3] Apartheid Government Sought Germs to Kill Blacks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/
newsid_110000;/110947.stm
[4] Los Angeles Times, Dean E. Murphy
http:www.detnews.com/1998/nation/9808/01/08010066.htm
