Re: [sixties-l] OU Bacteriological Warfare Research

From: Uriah768@aol.com
Date: Fri Oct 05 2001 - 14:15:35 EDT

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    In a message dated Fri, 5 Oct 2001 1:42:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Sorrento95@aol.com writes:

    > I sent this information to a columnist for the University of Oklahoma student newspaper, but not surprisingly he ignored it.
    >
    > Bacteriological warfare research is of interest today, since we are being greeted with fears that terrorists might be using this kind of weapon against us. The questions must be asked: where did our enemies get these ideas? How much did they learn from research conducted by and for the US military establishment?

    Yes...a good point. Yet I cannot help but ask if this implies that such peoples are not capable of developing such things on their own as well? To say it is all because of the American military establishment seems simplistic, and interestingly enough, elitist. "Only Americans are capable of this."
    >
    > Seymour Hersh, who won the Pulitzer Prize for the My Lai massacre expose during the Vietnam War, had a chapter about an OU germ warfare project in his book about this subject. Hersh has an international reputation as a credible author. The faculty member in charge of the project was a zoology professor named Cluff Hopla. In addition to Hersh, a US Congressman named Richard McCarthy also wrote about the OU project and described it as bacteriological warfare research.
    >
    > Here are the references:
    >
    > Seymour Hersh, Chemical and Biological Warfare:
    > America's Hidden Arsenal (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill,
    > 1968)
    >
    > Richard McCarthy, The Ultimate Folly: War by
    > Pestilence, Asphyxiation, and Defoliation (New York:
    > Knopf, 1969)

    Hersh is an interesting guy, although "international reputation" and "credible author" are terms that raise red flags for me. (Notice I said "red flags" and not American flags. I want to be inclusive here). I am not familiar with the McCarthy book, but from its title, it sounds like some good, fun, light-hearted reading. <tongue firmly in cheek>
    >
    > OU President David Boren, formerly a U.S. Senator, developed a close relationship with the CIA and with right-wing foreign policy groups. As a former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee (and later its Chairman), he bears some responsibility for the CIA's support of Bin Laden and other Islamic extremists during its covert war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan during the 1980s. I address this history in my online article here:
    >
    > http://www.stopworldwar3.com/features/wright919.shtml

    Good article. My only comment would be, for better or worse, American foreign policy during the late 70s and early 80s was still framed within the notion of Cold War containment policy. To aid in the covert Afghan war against the USSR at the time was seen as vital and essential. I am not regarding that decision as good or wise, but given the climate of the time, it is not surprising.
    >
    > Boren also has recently served right-wing, anti-labor interests by campaigning openly for a union-busting "right-to-work" law in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, with Boren's help it was recently enacted by a referendum.
    >
    > -- Michael Wright
    > Norman, Oklahoma

    Wow...all this Boren information taken as a whole sounds like the plotline for a great X-Files episode. "Mulder...Scully...check out this Boren guy. He is having drinks with the cigarette-smoking man at O'Connell's tonight." Get Chris Carter on the phone! :-)

    Brad L. Duren
    Instructor of History
    Hamilton Hall 213
    Oklahoma Panhandle State University
    Goodwell, Oklahoma 73939
    email: Uriah768@aol.com
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