veteranstoday--2020-04-02--CNN-Breaking-Vital: Trump’s Privatized Testing Faked, Huge Backlogs, Few Real Tests Ever Done!

( CNN ) As the US health care system has scrambled to track the spread of coronavirus , one of the nation ’ s largest commercial labs has faced a backlog of tests that ballooned in the last two weeks , and has delayed results in some cases up to 10 days .
New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics had about 160,000 coronavirus test orders waiting to be processed on March 25 , which amounted to about half of the 320,000 total orders for the tests the company had received up to that date , according to Quest internal materials obtained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now testing for the virus at a dozen labs across the country , referred to the orders as a “ significant amount of backlog , ” according to the materials .
Although a vast network of labs at public health departments and universities are also testing for the novel coronavirus , the Trump administration has leaned on commercial labs , which have greater capacity , to roll out widespread testing Quest and an array of other commercial labs have launched and expanded their testing capacity over the last month , and on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested more than 1 million people for the virus .
Yet health care workers , state officials and others have criticized the pace of coronavirus testing in the US as insufficient to enable timely quarantining of patients and to obtain an accurate understanding of the virus ’ scope .
The White House warned Tuesday that the virus could lead to the deaths of anywhere from 100,000 to 240,000 Americans Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said on Sunday that safely loosening restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on the availability of more rapid testing .
A spokesperson for Quest , Wendy Bost , told CNN the backlog for coronavirus tests has begun to shrink in recent days as the company has expanded its capacity , which now amounts to more than 30,000 tests a day and an average turnaround time of four to five days .
“ Much of the backlog was due to huge demand in the early days of testing when we were primarily offering a lab-developed test we developed at a single laboratory , ” Bost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our capacity has exceeded our demand , allowing us to reduce the backlog.
” After CNN published this report , Quest posted a statement on its website Wednesday night that said the company currently has a backlog of 115,000 tests .
Quest is not alone in dealing with turnaround times of multiple days and other testing complications resulting from extreme demand .
LabCorp , another major commercial lab company , said turnaround time for results is approximately four to five days , though that varies depending on factors such as transport time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ LabCorp and other companies met with White House officials to discuss expanded testing .
President Trump touted the plan as “ a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus.
” But some health care workers have told CNN testing has not accelerated fast enough .
Dr. Joseph Kanter , an ER doctor in New Orleans and the Assistant State Health Officer for the Louisiana Department of Health , said longer wait times for test results force hospitals to use more personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and must be used when treating patients who have been tested until it ’ s confirmed they do not have the virus .
“ The faster we can turn those tests around , some of those will be negative and we ’ ll save the PPE burn , ” Kanter said .
“ It ’ s getting better , but it still is a bottleneck.
” Megan Schlanser , a nurse in Michigan , said limited testing has prevented frontline health workers , including some of her colleagues who feel sick , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re not getting tested , ” Schlanser said .
“ The scary thing is that we could potentially all be carriers and even not even show symptoms… so I could be potentially infecting all of my coworkers.
” Some patients who waited initially to even get tested for the virus have yet to get their results .
Shannon Mason , a 38-year-old attorney in northern California , tells CNN she is still waiting for the result of the Covid-19 test she had on March 18 .
Mason , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because she has an immune dysfunction , said she became very sick with a cough and fever in February that became a respiratory infection .
She finally went to the ER at the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento .
“ I was feeling really bad .
That ’ s the worst I ’ ve ever felt , ” said Mason , who said she tested negative for the flu .
Mason is still waiting for the results of her test , and said she has repeatedly called the medical center and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one seems to know the result .
CNN contacted the medical center but did immediately not hear back .
After publication , the medical center said they “ are looking into ” the issue .
Various hospital systems have begun implementing their own internal coronavirus testing , which cuts the time needed to ship specimens to external labs .
The Yale New Haven Health System does its own in-house testing for the sickest patients and critical health care workers , but the rest are sent to outside labs .
“ Initially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Quest but their turnaround times were quite delayed recently , sometimes over a week , ” said Steven Choi , the health system ’ s chief quality officer .
“ We ’ re now transitioning to the Mayo Clinic Labs for our outpatient specimen testing.
” A spokesperson for the RWJBarnabas Health hospital system in New Jersey told CNN its in-house testing has a turnaround time of a few hours , but the majority of its tests are still sent to private labs that require five to 10 days for results .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said test results for admitted patients are returned in 24 hours but outpatients ’ samples are sent to an outside lab that typically provides results in about a week .
Bost , the Quest spokesperson , told CNN that while hospitals may be able to efficiently test ill hospital patients , commercial labs like Quest have the capacity and logistical operations to test far greater numbers of patients at regional levels .
Bost added that global supply chain issues have constrained labs throughout the country .
Medical officials at several state departments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more swabs and reagents , which are used to extract the genetic code of a virus from swabs , along with other materials to conduct Covid-19 tests .
A spokesperson for the University of Nebraska said on Tuesday that the two labs on campus testing for coronavirus have been able to turnaround results in four to six hours but due to a lack of reagents , the labs have had to limit capacity .
At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee , overall volume of testing and a shortage of reagents caused its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last week from a 48-to-72-hour timeframe to five-to-seven days .
“ We have the reagent back in stock but it took several days .
During that time we had samples accumulate in the queue , ” said spokesperson John Howser .
Some commercial labs have said they have cut backlogs that developed after they initially rolled out coronavirus tests .
A spokesperson for the company Eurofins , for example , said its labs are now running 7,000 tests a day with a 24-hour turnaround time .
Caroline Buckee , an associate professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chan School of Public Health , said that until the US health care system develops the capacity to widely test patients , including those only exhibiting mild symptoms , the full scope of the virus can not be fully understood and effectively addressed .
“ Right now we are not testing enough people so we don ’ t know what ’ s happening with community-level transmission , and we ’ re almost certainly missing many cases , ” Buckee said .
This story has been updated Wednesday night to reflect University of California-Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ looking into ” Mason ’ s case and to include Quest ’ s current backlog .

(CNN) As the US health care system has scrambled to track the spread of coronavirus , one of the nation’s largest commercial labs has faced a backlog of tests that ballooned in the last two weeks, and has delayed results in some cases up to 10 days.
New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics had about 160,000 coronavirus test orders waiting to be processed on March 25, which amounted to about half of the 320,000 total orders for the tests the company had received up to that date, according to Quest internal materials obtained by CNN.
The company, which is now testing for the virus at a dozen labs across the country, referred to the orders as a “significant amount of backlog,” according to the materials.
Although a vast network of labs at public health departments and universities are also testing for the novel coronavirus, the Trump administration has leaned on commercial labs, which have greater capacity, to roll out widespread testing
Quest and an array of other commercial labs have launched and expanded their testing capacity over the last month, and on Monday President Donald Trump announced that the US had tested more than 1 million people for the virus.
Yet health care workers, state officials and others have criticized the pace of coronavirus testing in the US as insufficient to enable timely quarantining of patients and to obtain an accurate understanding of the virus’ scope. The White House warned Tuesday that the virus could lead to the deaths of anywhere from 100,000 to 240,000 Americans
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday that safely loosening restrictions on businesses and public gatherings in the US depends on the availability of more rapid testing.
“So that when you identify someone who’s infected, that person doesn’t go out into society for a few days, infect a bunch of people, and then you bring them back because the test is positive,” Fauci said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
A spokesperson for Quest, Wendy Bost, told CNN the backlog for coronavirus tests has begun to shrink in recent days as the company has expanded its capacity, which now amounts to more than 30,000 tests a day and an average turnaround time of four to five days.
“Much of the backlog was due to huge demand in the early days of testing when we were primarily offering a lab-developed test we developed at a single laboratory,” Bost said. “In recent days, our capacity has exceeded our demand, allowing us to reduce the backlog.”
After CNN published this report, Quest posted a statement on its website Wednesday night that said the company currently has a backlog of 115,000 tests.
Quest is not alone in dealing with turnaround times of multiple days and other testing complications resulting from extreme demand.
LabCorp, another major commercial lab company, said turnaround time for results is approximately four to five days, though that varies depending on factors such as transport time.
ARUP Laboratories earlier this month was accepting specimens for coronavirus testing outside of its home state of Utah but stopped that about two weeks ago due to “supply constraints in the face of extraordinary demand,” the company said.
Here’s how the novel coronavirus outbreak unfolded 02:32
In March, leaders from Quest, LabCorp and other companies met with White House officials to discuss expanded testing. President Trump touted the plan as “a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus.”
But some health care workers have told CNN testing has not accelerated fast enough.
Dr. Joseph Kanter, an ER doctor in New Orleans and the Assistant State Health Officer for the Louisiana Department of Health, said longer wait times for test results force hospitals to use more personal protective equipment, which is in short supply nationally and must be used when treating patients who have been tested until it’s confirmed they do not have the virus.
“The faster we can turn those tests around, some of those will be negative and we’ll save the PPE burn,” Kanter said. “It’s getting better, but it still is a bottleneck.”
Megan Schlanser, a nurse in Michigan, said limited testing has prevented frontline health workers, including some of her colleagues who feel sick, from knowing whether they have contracted the virus.
“We’re not getting tested,” Schlanser said. “The scary thing is that we could potentially all be carriers and even not even show symptoms… so I could be potentially infecting all of my coworkers.”
Some patients who waited initially to even get tested for the virus have yet to get their results.
Shannon Mason, a 38-year-old attorney in northern California, tells CNN she is still waiting for the result of the Covid-19 test she had on March 18.
Mason, who said she is at particularly high risk because she has an immune dysfunction, said she became very sick with a cough and fever in February that became a respiratory infection.
She finally went to the ER at the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. “I was feeling really bad. That’s the worst I’ve ever felt,” said Mason, who said she tested negative for the flu.
Mason is still waiting for the results of her test, and said she has repeatedly called the medical center and asked for her result, but said no one seems to know the result. CNN contacted the medical center but did immediately not hear back. After publication, the medical center said they “are looking into” the issue.
Nurse struggled to get tested and worked while infected 03:12
Various hospital systems have begun implementing their own internal coronavirus testing, which cuts the time needed to ship specimens to external labs.
The Yale New Haven Health System does its own in-house testing for the sickest patients and critical health care workers, but the rest are sent to outside labs.
“Initially, we sent out a lot of samples to Quest but their turnaround times were quite delayed recently, sometimes over a week,” said Steven Choi, the health system’s chief quality officer. “We’re now transitioning to the Mayo Clinic Labs for our outpatient specimen testing.”
A spokesperson for the RWJBarnabas Health hospital system in New Jersey told CNN its in-house testing has a turnaround time of a few hours, but the majority of its tests are still sent to private labs that require five to 10 days for results.
The Henry Ford Health System in Michigan said test results for admitted patients are returned in 24 hours but outpatients’ samples are sent to an outside lab that typically provides results in about a week.
Bost, the Quest spokesperson, told CNN that while hospitals may be able to efficiently test ill hospital patients, commercial labs like Quest have the capacity and logistical operations to test far greater numbers of patients at regional levels.
Bost added that global supply chain issues have constrained labs throughout the country.
Medical officials at several state departments and labs told CNN in March they needed more swabs and reagents, which are used to extract the genetic code of a virus from swabs, along with other materials to conduct Covid-19 tests.
A spokesperson for the University of Nebraska said on Tuesday that the two labs on campus testing for coronavirus have been able to turnaround results in four to six hours but due to a lack of reagents, the labs have had to limit capacity.
At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, overall volume of testing and a shortage of reagents caused its lab’s backlog to jump over the last week from a 48-to-72-hour timeframe to five-to-seven days.
“We have the reagent back in stock but it took several days. During that time we had samples accumulate in the queue,” said spokesperson John Howser.
Some commercial labs have said they have cut backlogs that developed after they initially rolled out coronavirus tests. A spokesperson for the company Eurofins, for example, said its labs are now running 7,000 tests a day with a 24-hour turnaround time.
Caroline Buckee, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said that until the US health care system develops the capacity to widely test patients, including those only exhibiting mild symptoms, the full scope of the virus cannot be fully understood and effectively addressed.
“Right now we are not testing enough people so we don’t know what’s happening with community-level transmission, and we’re almost certainly missing many cases,” Buckee said.
This story has been updated Wednesday night to reflect University of California-Davis Medical Center’s response that they are “looking into” Mason’s case and to include Quest’s current backlog.


veteranstoday--2020-04-03--NYT: 1000 bed USNS Comfort Sent to Aid NYC, it has 3 patients

On Thursday , though , the huge white vessel , which officials had promised would bring succor to a city @ @ @ @ @ mostly empty , infuriating local hospital executives .
The ship ’ s 1,000 beds are @ @ @ @ @ crew mostly idle .
Only three patients had been transferred to the ship , officials @ @ @ @ @ York hospitals struggled to find space for the thousands infected with the coronavirus .
Another @ @ @ @ @ U.S.N.S .
Mercy , docked in Los Angeles , has had a total of 15 @ @ @ @ @ “ If I ’ m blunt about it , it ’ s a joke , @ @ @ @ @ the head of Northwell Health , one of New York ’ s largest hospital systems @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Thank you for putting up these wonderful places and opening up these cavernous @ @ @ @ @ re in a crisis here , we ’ re in a battlefield.
” Read more @ @ @ @ @

On Thursday, though, the huge white vessel, which officials had promised would bring succor to a city on the brink, sat mostly empty, infuriating local hospital executives. The ship’s 1,000 beds are largely unused, its 1,200-member crew mostly idle.
Only three patients had been transferred to the ship, officials said, even as New York hospitals struggled to find space for the thousands infected with the coronavirus. Another Navy hospital ship, the U.S.N.S. Mercy, docked in Los Angeles, has had a total of 15 patients, officials said.
“If I’m blunt about it, it’s a joke,” said Michael Dowling, the head of Northwell Health, one of New York’s largest hospital systems. “Everyone can say, ‘Thank you for putting up these wonderful places and opening up these cavernous halls.’ But we’re in a crisis here, we’re in a battlefield.” Read more, no pay wall:


veteranstoday--2020-04-02--US OK’s Experimental Plasma Therapy for CV19, Human Trials Begin

Doctors in New York City , New York ; Houston , Texas ; and Rochester , Minnesota , were quick to acknowledge the US Food and Drug Administration ’ s ( FDA ) recent approval of plasma therapy for COVID-19 novel coronavirus patients and have begun their own trials in the past few days .
The US FDA announced on March 24 that it would allow researchers to begin experimental COVID-19 treatments using convalescent plasma – which is the plasma obtained from an individual who has recovered from the novel coronavirus .
The process has been studied during previous disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and SARS epidemic .
However , it ’ s unknown whether the method is effective in combating all diseases .
Three days after the announcement , Houston ’ s Methodist Hospital began recruiting plasma donors and administered its first convalescent plasma transfusion on March 28 , according to USA Today .
Despite the mystery behind whether the treatment will be effective in COVID-19 patients , William Schaffner , professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , told the outlet that it ’ s worth a try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sinai Medical Center in New York City began its own trials on Saturday .
Speaking to US Today , Ania Wajnberg – an internist at the center who also directs its Serum Antibody program – said that “ nothing feels fast enough ” during this worldwide pandemic .
Wajnberg explained that the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project , which determines whether an individual is eligible to donate plasma , has been a success .
“ That ’ s been a bright spot in all this : everybody wants to help .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wajnberg told USA Today .
Instead , researchers hope the “ slope of the patient ’ s decline will gradually slow and that they can be weaned off of ventilation , ” he said .

Doctors in New York City, New York; Houston, Texas; and Rochester, Minnesota, were quick to acknowledge the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent approval of plasma therapy for COVID-19 novel coronavirus patients and have begun their own trials in the past few days.
The US FDA announced on March 24 that it would allow researchers to begin experimental COVID-19 treatments using convalescent plasma – which is the plasma obtained from an individual who has recovered from the novel coronavirus.
“It is possible that convalescent plasma that contains antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) might be effective against the infection,” the federal agency noted.
The process has been studied during previous disease outbreaks, including the H1N1 influenza virus pandemic and SARS epidemic. However, it’s unknown whether the method is effective in combating all diseases.
Three days after the announcement, Houston’s Methodist Hospital began recruiting plasma donors and administered its first convalescent plasma transfusion on March 28, according to USA Today. Despite the mystery behind whether the treatment will be effective in COVID-19 patients, William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told the outlet that it’s worth a try during this time of crisis.
“Any port in a storm – and we’ve got one heck of a storm out there,” he said.
Likewise, Sinai Medical Center in New York City began its own trials on Saturday. Speaking to US Today, Ania Wajnberg – an internist at the center who also directs its Serum Antibody program – said that “nothing feels fast enough” during this worldwide pandemic.
Wajnberg explained that the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, which determines whether an individual is eligible to donate plasma, has been a success.
“That’s been a bright spot in all this: everybody wants to help. It’s nice to see,” Wajnberg told USA Today.
Michael Joyner, a professor of anesthesiology who assisted in setting up convalescent plasma trials at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, highlighted to the outlet that no one expects the treatment to have a “Lazarus-like effect on the ill.”
Instead, researchers hope the “slope of the patient’s decline will gradually slow and that they can be weaned off of ventilation,” he said.


veteranstoday--2020-04-02--Trump orders Captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt fired for reporting COVID disaster

The firing was done by Trump personally , through intermediaries of course , but only after Trump consulted Sean Hannity , Fox News conspiracy theorist .
Neither Trump nor Hannity served one second of military service .
RT/Moscow : The commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt hit by COVID-19 has been relieved of duty , with the military stating he was “ overwhelmed ” by the crisis , after writing a letter pleading for infected sailors to be evacuated .
The head officer aboard the carrier , Captain Brett Crozier , was removed from his post , the Navy said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ causing alarm ” with a letter sent directly to senior officials as scores of sailors on the aircraft carrier contracted the lethal coronavirus , skipping several rungs on the chain of command .
The captain ’ s letter urgently requested the immediate evacuation of the ship to “ prevent tragic outcomes , ” striking a dire tone after more than 100 sailors became infected and the Roosevelt was forced to dock in Guam .
We are not at war .
Sailors do not need to die .
If we do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly take care of our most trusted asset .
Though Crozier ’ s request was ultimately granted earlier on Thursday , the military insists his sacking was in the “ best interest of the Navy and nation.
” Thousands of the ship ’ s crew members have now been allowed to disembark to hotels on the island to avoid further illness , but the Navy questioned Crozier ’ s judgment , stating he was “ absolutely correct ” to raise concerns , but took issue with “ the way in which he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my mind Captain Crozier did what he thought was best for the health and safety ” of his crew , said acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly , adding “ unfortunately , it did the opposite , ” potentially emboldening “ adversaries ” into taking advantage of Roosevelt ’ s vulnerable state .
Not long after the captain ’ s letter was sent , appearing prominently in a flurry of press reports , the Pentagon locked-down information regarding infected soldiers , refusing to share data beyond “ aggregated numbers ” as it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the US military , forcing the Pentagon to recall 20,000 troops from NATO ’ s massive Defender Europe 2020 drill , set to be the alliance ’ s largest exercise in 25 years .
Outbreaks have been reported on at least four Navy warships – including the Roosevelt – while airbases across the US have gone on high alert after airmen contracted the illness .
In hopes of stemming the spread of the disease , the military has also halted all major troop movements worldwide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During a press conference Thursday , acting US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly explained that Crozier was not being relieved of duty for writing the letter but because he sent it outside the chain of command .
Doing so , Modly noted , “ raised alarm bells unnecessarily ” that undermined the efforts by the Navy to contain the virus .
Modly also noted that Crozier “ demonstrated extremely poor judgment ” amid the outbreak and that sending the letter so broadly was “ completely unnecessary to do.
” “ It created the perception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , the government is not on the job and it ’ s just not true , ” Modly noted .
“ I did not make this decision lightly .
I have no doubt in my mind that Captain Crozier did what he thought was in the best interest of the safety and well-being of his crew , ” Modly added .
Regarding the Monday letter from Crozier , Modly told reporters on Wednesday : “ I don ’ t know who leaked the letter to the media .
That would be something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order and discipline if he were responsible for that .
But I don ’ t know that.
” “ The fact that he wrote the letter up to his chain of command to express his concerns would absolutely not result in any type of retaliation , ” Modly added .
In the letter that was published Tuesday by the San Francisco Chronicle , Crozier wrote , “ Request all available resources to find NAVADMIN [ Navy Personnel Command ] and CDC [ US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] compliant quarantine rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible.
” “ This will require a political solution , but it is the right thing to do .
We are not at war .
Sailors do not need to die .
If we do not act now , we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset – our sailors , ” the statement continues .
The warship docked in Guam last week after several members of its crew tested positive for COVID-19 .
According to an anonymous source who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ship .
About two weeks earlier , which is the virus ’ s incubation period , the ship was docked at the Vietnamese port of Da Nang .
The crew members were in contact with locals .
The latest data by Worldometer shows that there are at least 227 cases of the coronavirus in Vietnam .

The firing was done by Trump personally, through intermediaries of course, but only after Trump consulted Sean Hannity, Fox News conspiracy theorist. Neither Trump nor Hannity served one second of military service.
–
RT/Moscow: The commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt hit by COVID-19 has been relieved of duty, with the military stating he was “overwhelmed” by the crisis, after writing a letter pleading for infected sailors to be evacuated.
The head officer aboard the carrier, Captain Brett Crozier, was removed from his post, the Navy said in a statement, taking him to task for “causing alarm” with a letter sent directly to senior officials as scores of sailors on the aircraft carrier contracted the lethal coronavirus, skipping several rungs on the chain of command.
The captain’s letter urgently requested the immediate evacuation of the ship to “prevent tragic outcomes,” striking a dire tone after more than 100 sailors became infected and the Roosevelt was forced to dock in Guam.
We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset.
Though Crozier’s request was ultimately granted earlier on Thursday, the military insists his sacking was in the “best interest of the Navy and nation.”
Thousands of the ship’s crew members have now been allowed to disembark to hotels on the island to avoid further illness, but the Navy questioned Crozier’s judgment, stating he was “absolutely correct” to raise concerns, but took issue with “the way in which he did it.”
“I have no doubt in my mind Captain Crozier did what he thought was best for the health and safety” of his crew, said acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, adding “unfortunately, it did the opposite,” potentially emboldening “adversaries” into taking advantage of Roosevelt’s vulnerable state.
Not long after the captain’s letter was sent, appearing prominently in a flurry of press reports, the Pentagon locked-down information regarding infected soldiers, refusing to share data beyond “aggregated numbers” as it could reveal weak points in US forces.
The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the US military, forcing the Pentagon to recall 20,000 troops from NATO’s massive Defender Europe 2020 drill, set to be the alliance’s largest exercise in 25 years. Outbreaks have been reported on at least four Navy warships – including the Roosevelt – while airbases across the US have gone on high alert after airmen contracted the illness. In hopes of stemming the spread of the disease, the military has also halted all major troop movements worldwide, excluding only the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Sputnik/Moscow: The US Navy relieved the captain of the COVID-19-infected aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt of duty after he wrote a letter to US Navy leaders demanding support in quarantining the crew, US officials told Reuters on Thursday.


veteranstoday--2020-04-02--Facing US Bio-Warfare: An open letter to President Trump from the people of the world

Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman , bio below Questions the US government needs to answer : 1 .
On the topic of the US using biological weapons in China and North Korea , almost everyone today knows the truth , the huge volume of accumulated evidence beyond dispute .
After lying about it for 70 years , would you care to finally admit what you did ?
( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) 2 .
In your decades-long campaign of biological warfare against little Cuba , including the distribution of hemorrhagic fever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill all 500,000 pigs in the country , the evidence of US responsibility is overwhelming .
You have not only lied about this for 70 years but tried to turn the tables by accusing Cuba of being “ a pariah state ” with a germ warfare program .
Would you care to retract your false accusations and finally admit to the world what you did ?
( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) 3 .
Please explain why the US has some 400 military bio-weapons labs scattered in ( mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , including new ones in Georgia , Ukraine , Moldova , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Uzbekistan , and Kazakhstan .
Why not build them in your own back yard ?
Several nations are demanding that you dismantle these labs and take them home where they belong .
Do you intend to comply ?
( 7 ) ( 8 ) ( 9 ) 4 .
In 2004 , the Hong Kong Wenweipo published an article titled , “ Earliest SARS outbreak suspected in the US ” , quoting AP and Reuters about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with typical SARS symptoms a few months prior to the outbreak in Hong Kong and who died within a day , with the entire hospital and about 80 other individuals with whom she ’ d had contact all being immediately quarantined .
Wenweipo , Chinese researchers , Russian virologists , and military experts speculated the SARS-US virus was necessarily man-made and almost certainly released from a US military lab , the US leak being covered up .
Would you comment , please ?
( 10 ) 5 .
Can you explain how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unanimously knew SARS-US was caused by civets when for months nobody on the ground knew anything factual , and later almost everyone on the ground was suspecting Fort Detrick as the source ?
SARS-US was released in China , in Guangdong Province , but patient zero unfortunately immediately traveled to Hong Kong , sparing China but devastating Hong Kong instead .
Would you comment ?
6 .
COVID-US , like SARS-US , appears to be Chinese-specific , 99.5 % affecting only ethnic Chinese , with no infected foreigners in Wuhan or China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – with apparent funding from the US military – conducted a series of illegal and outrageously unethical “ studies ” in China ( after having been specifically forbidden to do so ) , surreptitiously collecting hundreds of thousands of Chinese DNA samples , then illegally removing them from the country .
Many questions were raised about the ( military ) application of those samples .
Would you care to comment ?
( 11 ) 7 .
Please can you explain why MERS-US exploded in South Korea at the JUPITER-ATD bio-weapons lab on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 South Korean soldiers were suddenly quarantined on the base ?
( 12 ) 8 .
Please would you explain why Ebola emerged simultaneously in three different locations thousands of kilometers apart , each within a stone ’ s throw of a US military bio-weapons lab ?
( 13 ) ( 14 ) ( 15 ) 9 .
Please would you explain why the US military seems to be taking such a strong lead in the COVID-US outbreak in South Korea , and why US servicemen have such frequent contact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 16 ) like the fanatic Shincheonji religious cult who have been the source of most COVID-USA infections in South Korea ?
Please would you also explain the coincidence of both MERS-US and COVID-US appearing to have perhaps originated from the same JUPITR-ATD labs at the same Osan Airbase ?
10 .
You recently commented that you could kill the entire population of Afghanistan within days .
“ Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth .
It would be gone and this is not using nuclear .
It would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days.
” How , exactly were you proposing to do that ?
Biological weapons would seem the only alternative .
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever and Hantavirus worked for the US in North Korea once ; they should work again .
Please elaborate .
( 17 ) ( 18 ) ( 19 ) 11 .
Please would you explain to China and the world why the CDC shut down the Fort Detrick USAMRIID bio-weapons lab ?
Was it really due , as your media claimed , to a simple “ lack of procedure ” ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that huge ( 80,000 sq .
meters ) site kept sealed for six months of testing and decontamination before being permitted to only partially resume work ?
Also , could you explain why most English-language news websites were suddenly scrubbed of all reference to the closure of Fort Detrick when the coronavirus erupted in Wuhan ?
( 20 ) ( 21 ) 12 .
In October of 2019 , your country hosted Event 201 that appeared in retrospect to have been a live simulation of the virus outbreak that occurred in Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 Netflix documentary titled “ The Next Pandemic ” , your Bill Gates predicted a pandemic resulting from a coronavirus-like outbreak – starting at a Chinese market .
Can you explain these apparently startling coincidences ?
If Event 201 was an innocent civilian exercise , why was the CIA involved as a participant ?
Did they conduct the simulation ?
13 .
Odd that in the months prior to the coronavirus outbreak ( and again during the epidemic ) , China was hit with 4 unexplained viral outbreaks in quick succession , new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation ’ s livestock and poultry , causing much economic damage and necessitating the purchase of large volumes of US agricultural products .
It would seem that Mother Nature decided to align herself with US foreign policy , not only joining your trade war and assisting your effort to ‘ bring China down ’ but her apparent unprecedented complicity in choosing the worst possible time of the year and perhaps the worst possible location .
In your opinion were these mere coincidences , a run of bad luck , perhaps ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you care to predict where this will end ?
( 22 ) 14 .
It seems the swine flu that devastated China ’ s livestock in 2019 was not an act of god or nature but was done by unknown persons flying small drones over the country ’ s pig farms and infecting thousands of locations , resulting in the culling of more than 100 million pigs .
Does this seem unusual to you ?
Would you care to comment on the probable culprits ?
( See note 2. above ) Please note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pork speculators ” have already been eliminated from suspicion .
( 23 ) 15 .
With regard to COVID-US , we don ’ t believe it was brought to China by infected soldiers at the Wuhan military games .
If that had been true , all foreign soldiers would have been infected first and taken the virus to their home countries , but events did not progress in that sequence .
Please would you tell us how it might have happened ?
Certainly , the Chinese people have a right to know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that COVID-US did not originate at the Wuhan market , nor in Wuhan at all , nor in China .
Further , the virus strains in most nations are different from the one that contaminated Wuhan .
Please would you comment on this , in light of your “ Chinese virus ” statements ?
( 24 ) 17 .
Similarly , the people in Italy and Iran would like to know how different strains of the virus might have traveled to their countries .
As well , the entire world is wondering why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , the first infecting 25 countries at the same time around January 25 , and the second with 85 countries simultaneously experiencing explosive domestic multiple outbreaks within a few days of each other around February 25 – and mostly different from the strain in China .
Since only the US has all the various strains , it would seem those infections must have originated in your country .
Would you care to explain how this might have happened ?
( 25 ) 18 .
Following the above , Japan , South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that their domestic outbreaks of COVID-US had no confirmed cases of exposure with China but showed a connection with the United States .
Similarly , Australia claims 80 % of its infections came from the US , other countries also identifying infections that were Made in America .
As well , the huge pent-up eruptions in Washington and New York were entirely domestic in origin , having no proven connection with China .
Please will you explain this ?
( 26 ) ( 27 ) ( 28 ) 19 .
China , Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Europe now have documented proof that COVID-US was circulating in their populations for several months before the outbreak in Wuhan .
Japan and Taiwan have documented proof that several Japanese became infected in Hawaii in late September of 2019 .
Please would you address and explain this ?
( 29 ) ( 30 ) 20 .
Two years ago , John Bolton fired the entire executive group responsible for pandemic response coordination , eviscerating your nation ’ s infectious disease defense infrastructure .
In light of current events , can you explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You also cut funding for the CDC , eliminating 80 % of their global disease prevention efforts , in other words , the department that could have helped other nations detect and control the epidemics they later suffered .
More specifically , a key CDC epidemiologist was embedded in China ’ s disease control agency , but you eliminated her position and brought her home shortly before the virus outbreak in Wuhan .
Please explain why you withdrew her at that particular time .
( 31 ) ( 32 ) ( 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did the CDC forbid testing of Americans ?
Why did the CDC refuse to test even those already in an ICU and on a ventilator ?
Was it to prevent Americans from learning of the epidemic already loose in their country ?
Why was Dr. Helen Chu issued a threatening “ cease and desist ” order to stop testing nasal swabs her flu research team had taken in Washington State from October 2019 onward ?
Was it to prevent the knowledge emerging that the virus had already been circulating freely months earlier ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t ask a question privately is that we already know the answer , and the reason we don ’ t ask the question publicly is that we don ’ t want anyone else to know the answer .
( 34 ) 22 .
CDC Director Redfield admitted that US flu deaths were actually from the coronavirus .
How many of the 35 million infections and 20,000 deaths were misdiagnosed ?
Was this accidental ?
When the cause of death was discovered in autopsies , why was the information kept secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told they died of influenza when the death certificates read “ coronavirus ” ?
( 35 ) 23 .
I have many messages from Americans in Washington , New York , California , Maryland , Virginia , and other states claiming infection , mostly in the latter part of December of 2019 but several as early as late September , all describing similar symptoms consistent with COVID-US .
“ I am sure you get thousands of emails but wanted you to know how much I enjoyed and believed your article .
I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I firmly believe I am one of the US citizens who had this virus in December 2019 .
Please continue your research.
” “ I live in southwestern Pennsylvania .
I became sick very quickly on December 23 at work .
I figured I had caught the flu .
Although it was unlike anything I have ever had before .
In hindsight , I see that I had all of the exact symptoms of the Coronavirus.
” “ It was September 30 2019-October 9 2019 when my husband was hospitalized.
” Please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-US being widespread in America from September 2019 ?
24 .
The WHO emphasized the most important thing was to “ test , test , test ” , but the US is the one country that steadfastly refused to test , using many excuses that appear both lame and suspicious in retrospect .
Harvard Global Health Institute ’ s Dr. Ashish Jha said America ’ s “ response has been abysmal .
It ’ s hard to imagine how they could ’ ve done it worse .
We ’ re still the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ is not doing ] widespread testing for coronavirus .
.
.
That ’ s insane given our technical and scientific capacity.
” Please would you comment on this ?
( 36 ) 25 .
You gave yourself a top grade in handling this crisis , saying , “ I ’ d rate it a 10 .
I think we did a great job.
” Would you care to explain how you arrived at that figure ?
Meanwhile , even the NYT disagreed with you , saying , “ The failure to tap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chu ] , detailed here for the first time , was just one in a series of missed chances by the federal government to ensure more widespread testing during the early days of the outbreak , when containment would have been easier.
” Please would you comment ?
( 37 ) ( 38 ) 26 .
Your White House and US media made much play of the proximity of the Wuhan University to the seafood market – where you claimed the virus outbreak originated .
Please would you have one of your staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address ?
: Trade Tower I , No .
568 , Jianshe Avenue , Jianghan District , Wuhan 430022 .
( 39 ) Now , would you care to write a paragraph on the following topic : “ US Consulate General suspiciously close to the seafood market in Wuhan ” ?
27 .
In early March you amazingly declared as classified all COVID-US information and meetings , with all communication to be rerouted through the White House and coordinated with NSC officials .
Only specified individuals with security clearance are permitted to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or computers allowed .
Excluded staff members claimed they were told virus information was classified “ because it had to do with China ” .
Please will you comment on the need for such extreme secrecy ( while condemning China for lack of transparency ) , and please would you explain how coping with a virus epidemic in your country has anything “ to do ” with China ?
( 40 ) ( 41 ) ( 42 ) 28 .
Virologists are unanimous that the first act after a pathogen outbreak ( whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the source and locate the ‘ patient zero ’ , so as to stop the infection at its origin .
All major countries made great efforts in this regard – except the US who made no apparent effort of any kind .
Please could you explain why this is so ?
29 .
For several months now , Chinese , Italian , and Iranian Medical and State authorities have been calling for international collaboration to trace the precise genetic trail of the global outbreaks and identify the true origin of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants the answers , is the US cooperating in this effort ?
30 .
The US media made a great fuss about China punishing its so-called whistle-blower Li Wenliang , some inventing false claims he was forced into a confession and even imprisoned .
The official narrative , of course , is that America treasures its whistle-blowers while the Chinese are mean to theirs .
But today , Li Wenliang is a national hero in China .
Would you care to comment and compare his position with those of Edward Snowdon , Julian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is documented that your Radio Free Asia created and promulgated widely the falsehoods that the University at Wuhan is a bio-weapons lab and the coronavirus leaked from there .
Since Radio Free Asia is an integral part of your misinformation machine and reports to Mike Pompeo , would either he or you care to comment on this apparent slander ?
32 .
Your White House and media have tried to shame China with accusations and insinuations of a bad record of biological pathogen leaks , even though China had only two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , and nothing since .
However , your own CDC verifies that between 2005 and 2012 the US had 1,059 instances of theft or leaks of dangerous pathogens that broke containment .
One every three days for seven years .
Please would you comment on this disparity ?
( 43 ) ( 44 ) ( 45 ) 33 .
A virus test in China costs less than $ 100 and is paid by the government .
In the US , the cost of the same test ranges between $ 1,500 and $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients – who may have no health insurance .
Please would you comment on the relative attractiveness of the US Health Care System , and please would you note for whom it is attractive ?
34 .
This is the documented China timeline for the COVID-US outbreak : Dec 26 , 2019 : Jixian Zhang detects four anomalous pneumonia infections in Wuhan and reports them to the provincial CDC the next day .
The provincial authorities immediately inform the national CDC which prepares to implement the pandemic response protocols .
Prior infections had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 31 , 2019 : The WHO publicly reports the new virus outbreak .
January 7 , 2020 : Chinese virologists identify the virus and confirm a full genome sequencing five days later .
In light of the above , please would you explain your claims that Chinese medical authorities “ covered up ” the outbreak and “ cost the world two months ” of preparation time .
The claimed two-month delay would mean China had to notify the world in October of a virus that would not emerge for another six weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims ?
35 .
If it were China with the above history and SARS , MERS , AIDS , EBOLA , bird flu , swine flu , and COVID-19 first erupted in the US , you would claim this as 100 % proof that China was responsible .
It can not be a surprise that much of the world today is naturally tending to lay these outbreaks at your doorstep .
Would you care to comment ?
36 .
Mr. Pompeo instructed the global State Department staff to vigorously blame China for COVID-US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record as having stated that the government “ lies , cheats , and steals ” in order to accomplish its objectives .
If memory serves , he publicly admitted that lying is one of the most powerful American abilities , sprinkling baseless accusations like pouring dirty water into clean water , to leave a polluted slurry .
Since Mr. Pompeo functions at your pleasure , would you please comment on the extent to which you share his philosophy ?
( 46 ) ( 47 ) 37 .
Mr. Pompeo issued the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paint the US “ in every interview ” as “ The greatest humanitarian nation in the history of the world ” .
But you recently increased sanctions on Iran , preventing the purchase of critical medical supplies , and you ensured the World Bank would decline Venezuela ’ s plea for financial medical assistance .
While China , Russia , and Cuba have sent medical supplies and physicians to nearly 100 nations around the world , your USA has provided assistance to nobody .
These actions would seem inconsistent with your self-image of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of appearing to the world as almost savagely inhuman .
Please would you reconcile this apparent discrepancy ?
38 .
Many people in Iran and Venezuela too , are dying every day now as a direct result of your policies .
Please would you explain the pleasure derived from killing ?
39 .
Recent news reports that you called the President of tiny South Korea to beg for medical supplies .
That seems a bit pathetic , but perhaps you could explain .
Reports that China is shipping thousands of tonnes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you care to comment on the position that the world should treat the US as the US is treating Iran , and refuse to send anything ?
40 .
The 1918 “ Spanish ” influenza pandemic that killed between 20 million and 50 million people were proven to have originated in the US and propagated throughout the world from secrecy and recklessness .
The 2008 H1N1 pandemic also originated in the US and spread through the world from the same causes , your CDC for 6 months unable or unwilling to identify the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting misinformation , causing between 200,000 and 500,000 premature deaths worldwide .
HIV-AIDS also originated in the US , its simultaneous spread to two other continents still a matter of fierce debate .
Would you care to comment on US culpability in these deadly epidemics ?
Do you plan to apologize to the world for your carelessness ?
Would you support class-action lawsuits in favor of the victims ?
I believe the truth about COVID-US will eventually come out .
There must be many people with personal knowledge of the source and method @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one more brave Edward Snowdon or Chelsea Manning to leak the information .
We will then see how truly the US treasures its whistle-blowers .
Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman .
He has held senior executive positions in international consulting firms and owned an international import-export business .
He has been a visiting professor at Shanghai ’ s Fudan University , presenting case studies in international affairs to senior EMBA classes .
Mr. Romanoff lives in Shanghai and is currently writing a series of ten books generally related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization ( CRG ) .
He can be contacted at : [ email protected ] ( 5 ) William Blum , Killing Hope : U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II [ Common Courage Press , 1995 ] ) .
( 10 ) The original links are no longer active .
An archive search would be necessary to locate the Wenweipo , AP and Reuters articles .
( 11 ) Why Didn ’ t Any Americans Die From SARS ?
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a joint press conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Admiralty House in Sydney , Australia , February 28 , 2020 .
/Reuters ( 39 ) Contribution by an online friend whose name I have not learned .

SARS-US, MERS-US, COVID-US; the World Deserves Answers
by Larry Romanoff
Questions the US government needs to answer:
1. On the topic of the US using biological weapons in China and North Korea, almost everyone today knows the truth, the huge volume of accumulated evidence beyond dispute. After lying about it for 70 years, would you care to finally admit what you did? (1) (2) (3)
2. In your decades-long campaign of biological warfare against little Cuba, including the distribution of hemorrhagic fever, and the swine flu that caused Cuba to kill all 500,000 pigs in the country, the evidence of US responsibility is overwhelming. You have not only lied about this for 70 years but tried to turn the tables by accusing Cuba of being “a pariah state” with a germ warfare program. Would you care to retract your false accusations and finally admit to the world what you did? (4) (5) (6)
3. Please explain why the US has some 400 military bio-weapons labs scattered in (mostly poor and backward) countries around the world, including new ones in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Why not build them in your own backyard? Several nations are demanding that you dismantle these labs and take them home where they belong. Do you intend to comply? (7) (8) (9)
4. In 2004, the Hong Kong Wenweipo published an article titled, “Earliest SARS outbreak suspected in the US”, quoting AP and Reuters about a 45-year-old American woman who became gravely ill with typical SARS symptoms a few months prior to the outbreak in Hong Kong and who died within a day, with the entire hospital and about 80 other individuals with whom she’d had contact all being immediately quarantined. Wenweipo, Chinese researchers, Russian virologists, and military experts speculated the SARS-US virus was necessarily man-made and almost certainly released from a US military lab, the US leak being covered up. Would you comment, please? (10)
5. Can you explain how the Western (US) media immediately and unanimously knew SARS-US was caused by civets when for months nobody on the ground knew anything factual, and later almost everyone on the ground was suspecting Fort Detrick as the source? SARS-US was released in China, in Guangdong Province, but patient zero unfortunately immediately traveled to Hong Kong, sparing China but devastating Hong Kong instead. Would you comment?
6. COVID-US, like SARS-US, appears to be Chinese-specific, 99.5% affecting only ethnic Chinese, with no infected foreigners in Wuhan or China, which naturally raises questions. Harvard University – with apparent funding from the US military – conducted a series of illegal and outrageously unethical “studies” in China (after having been specifically forbidden to do so), surreptitiously collecting hundreds of thousands of Chinese DNA samples, then illegally removing them from the country. Many questions were raised about the (military) application of those samples. Would you care to comment? (11)
7. Please can you explain why MERS-US exploded in South Korea at the JUPITER-ATD bio-weapons lab on the US Airbase at Osan, and why more than 100 South Korean soldiers were suddenly quarantined on the base? (12)
8. Please would you explain why Ebola emerged simultaneously in three different locations thousands of kilometers apart, each within a stone’s throw of a US military bio-weapons lab? (13) (14) (15)
9. Please would you explain why the US military seems to be taking such a strong lead in the COVID-US outbreak in South Korea, and why US servicemen have such frequent contact, “hanging with a Jonestown outfit” (16) like the fanatic Shincheonji religious cult who have been the source of most COVID-USA infections in South Korea? Please would you also explain the coincidence of both MERS-US and COVID-US appearing to have perhaps originated from the same JUPITR-ATD labs at the same Osan Airbase?
10. You recently commented that you could kill the entire population of Afghanistan within days. “Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone and this is not using nuclear. It would be over in – literally, in 10 days.” How, exactly were you proposing to do that? Biological weapons would seem the only alternative. Viral Hemorrhagic Fever and Hantavirus worked for the US in North Korea once; they should work again. Please elaborate. (17) (18) (19)
11. Please would you explain to China and the world why the CDC shut down the Fort Detrick USAMRIID bio-weapons lab? Was it really due, as your media claimed, to a simple “lack of procedure”? Barring massive contamination and/or infections, why was that huge (80,000 sq. meters) site kept sealed for six months of testing and decontamination before being permitted to only partially resume work? Also, could you explain why most English-language news websites were suddenly scrubbed of all reference to the closure of Fort Detrick when the coronavirus erupted in Wuhan? (20) (21)
12. In October of 2019, your country hosted Event 201 that appeared in retrospect to have been a live simulation of the virus outbreak that occurred in Wuhan shortly after. Also, in a 2019 Netflix documentary titled “The Next Pandemic”, your Bill Gates predicted a pandemic resulting from a coronavirus-like outbreak – starting at a Chinese market. Can you explain these apparently startling coincidences? If Event 201 was an innocent civilian exercise, why was the CIA involved as a participant? Did they conduct the simulation?
13. Odd that in the months prior to the coronavirus outbreak (and again during the epidemic), China was hit with 4 unexplained viral outbreaks in quick succession, new or unusual animal viruses that destroyed much of the nation’s livestock and poultry, causing much economic damage and necessitating the purchase of large volumes of US agricultural products. It would seem that Mother Nature decided to align herself with US foreign policy, not only joining your trade war and assisting your effort to ‘bring China down’ but her apparent unprecedented complicity in choosing the worst possible time of the year and perhaps the worst possible location. In your opinion were these mere coincidences, a run of bad luck, perhaps? Please would you comment, and would you care to predict where this will end? (22)
14. It seems the swine flu that devastated China’s livestock in 2019 was not an act of god or nature but was done by unknown persons flying small drones over the country’s pig farms and infecting thousands of locations, resulting in the culling of more than 100 million pigs. Does this seem unusual to you? Would you care to comment on the probable culprits? (See note 2. above) Please note that “Chinese gangs” and “pork speculators” have already been eliminated from suspicion. (23)
15. With regard to COVID-US, we don’t believe it was brought to China by infected soldiers at the Wuhan military games. If that had been true, all foreign soldiers would have been infected first and taken the virus to their home countries, but events did not progress in that sequence. Please would you tell us how it might have happened? Certainly, the Chinese people have a right to know.
16. It has been conclusively proven that COVID-US did not originate at the Wuhan market, nor in Wuhan at all, nor in China. Further, the virus strains in most nations are different from the one that contaminated Wuhan. Please would you comment on this, in light of your “Chinese virus” statements? (24)
17. Similarly, the people in Italy and Iran would like to know how different strains of the virus might have traveled to their countries. As well, the entire world is wondering why there were two large waves of global infection, the first infecting 25 countries at the same time around January 25, and the second with 85 countries simultaneously experiencing explosive domestic multiple outbreaks within a few days of each other around February 25 – and mostly different from the strain in China. Since only the US has all the various strains, it would seem those infections must have originated in your country. Would you care to explain how this might have happened? (25)
18. Following the above, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Iran all reported that their domestic outbreaks of COVID-US had no confirmed cases of exposure with China but showed a connection with the United States. Similarly, Australia claims 80% of its infections came from the US, other countries also identifying infections that were Made in America. As well, the huge pent-up eruptions in Washington and New York were entirely domestic in origin, having no proven connection with China. Please will you explain this? (26) (27) (28)
19. China, Italy, and several other nations in Asia and Europe now have documented proof that COVID-US was circulating in their populations for several months before the outbreak in Wuhan. Japan and Taiwan have documented proof that several Japanese became infected in Hawaii in late September of 2019. Please would you address and explain this? (29) (30)
20. Two years ago, John Bolton fired the entire executive group responsible for pandemic response coordination, eviscerating your nation’s infectious disease defense infrastructure. In light of current events, can you explain his actions and your approval of them? You also cut funding for the CDC, eliminating 80% of their global disease prevention efforts, in other words, the department that could have helped other nations detect and control the epidemics they later suffered. More specifically, a key CDC epidemiologist was embedded in China’s disease control agency, but you eliminated her position and brought her home shortly before the virus outbreak in Wuhan. Please explain why you withdrew her at that particular time. (31) (32) (33)
21. For COVID-USA, why did the CDC forbid testing of Americans? Why did the CDC refuse to test even those already in an ICU and on a ventilator? Was it to prevent Americans from learning of the epidemic already loose in their country? Why was Dr. Helen Chu issued a threatening “cease and desist” order to stop testing nasal swabs her flu research team had taken in Washington State from October 2019 onward? Was it to prevent the knowledge emerging that the virus had already been circulating freely months earlier? This is pertinent because normally the reason we don’t ask a question privately is that we already know the answer, and the reason we don’t ask the question publicly is that we don’t want anyone else to know the answer. (34)
22. CDC Director Redfield admitted that US flu deaths were actually from the coronavirus. How many of the 35 million infections and 20,000 deaths were misdiagnosed? Was this accidental? When the cause of death was discovered in autopsies, why was the information kept secret? Why were deceased victims’ families told they died of influenza when the death certificates read “coronavirus”? (35)
23. I have many messages from Americans in Washington, New York, California, Maryland, Virginia, and other states claiming infection, mostly in the latter part of December of 2019 but several as early as late September, all describing similar symptoms consistent with COVID-US.
“I am sure you get thousands of emails but wanted you to know how much I enjoyed and believed your article. I have been trying to find this information online. I firmly believe I am one of the US citizens who had this virus in December 2019. Please continue your research.”
“I live in southwestern Pennsylvania. I became sick very quickly on December 23 at work. I figured I had caught the flu. Although it was unlike anything I have ever had before. In hindsight, I see that I had all of the exact symptoms of the Coronavirus.”
“It was September 30 2019-October 9 2019 when my husband was hospitalized.”
Please would you comment on the apparent existence of COVID-US being widespread in America from September 2019?
24. The WHO emphasized the most important thing was to “test, test, test”, but the US is the one country that steadfastly refused to test, using many excuses that appear both lame and suspicious in retrospect. Harvard Global Health Institute’s Dr. Ashish Jha said America’s “response has been abysmal. It’s hard to imagine how they could’ve done it worse. We’re still the only major country in the world that [is not doing] widespread testing for coronavirus . . . That’s insane given our technical and scientific capacity.” Please would you comment on this? (36)
25. You gave yourself a top grade in handling this crisis, saying, “I’d rate it a 10. I think we did a great job.” Would you care to explain how you arrived at that figure? Meanwhile, even the NYT disagreed with you, saying, “The failure to tap into the flu study [Dr. Helen Chu], detailed here for the first time, was just one in a series of missed chances by the federal government to ensure more widespread testing during the early days of the outbreak, when containment would have been easier.” Please would you comment? (37) (38)
26. Your White House and US media made much play of the proximity of the Wuhan University to the seafood market – where you claimed the virus outbreak originated. Please would you have one of your staff perform a map search for the following address?: Trade Tower I, No. 568, Jianshe Avenue, Jianghan District, Wuhan 430022. (39) Now, would you care to write a paragraph on the following topic: “US Consulate General suspiciously close to the seafood market in Wuhan”?
27. In early March you amazingly declared as classified all COVID-US information and meetings, with all communication to be rerouted through the White House and coordinated with NSC officials. Only specified individuals with security clearance are permitted to attend secret meetings, with no mobile phones or computers allowed. Excluded staff members claimed they were told virus information was classified “because it had to do with China”. Please will you comment on the need for such extreme secrecy (while condemning China for lack of transparency), and please would you explain how coping with a virus epidemic in your country has anything “to do” with China? (40) (41) (42)
28. Virologists are unanimous that the first act after a pathogen outbreak (whether natural or contrived) is to hunt down the source and locate the ‘patient zero’, so as to stop the infection at its origin. All major countries made great efforts in this regard – except the US who made no apparent effort of any kind. Please could you explain why this is so?
29. For several months now, Chinese, Italian, and Iranian Medical and State authorities have been calling for international collaboration to trace the precise genetic trail of the global outbreaks and identify the true origin of the virus. Since all of the humankind desperately wants the answers, is the US cooperating in this effort?
30. The US media made a great fuss about China punishing its so-called whistle-blower Li Wenliang, some inventing false claims he was forced into a confession and even imprisoned. The official narrative, of course, is that America treasures its whistle-blowers while the Chinese are mean to theirs. But today, Li Wenliang is a national hero in China. Would you care to comment and compare his position with those of Edward Snowdon, Julian Assange, and Chelsea Manning?
31. It is documented that your Radio Free Asia created and promulgated widely the falsehoods that the University at Wuhan is a bio-weapons lab and the coronavirus leaked from there. Since Radio Free Asia is an integral part of your misinformation machine and reports to Mike Pompeo, would either he or you care to comment on this apparent slander?
32. Your White House and media have tried to shame China with accusations and insinuations of a bad record of biological pathogen leaks, even though China had only two or three small leaks about 10 years ago, and nothing since. However, your own CDC verifies that between 2005 and 2012 the US had 1,059 instances of theft or leaks of dangerous pathogens that broke containment. One every three days for seven years. Please would you comment on this disparity? (43) (44) (45)
33. A virus test in China costs less than $100 and is paid by the government. In the US, the cost of the same test ranges between $1,500 and $3,000 and must be paid by the patients – who may have no health insurance. Please would you comment on the relative attractiveness of the US Health Care System, and please would you note for whom it is attractive?
34. This is the documented China timeline for the COVID-US outbreak:
Dec 26, 2019: Jixian Zhang detects four anomalous pneumonia infections in Wuhan and reports them to the provincial CDC the next day. The provincial authorities immediately inform the national CDC which prepares to implement the pandemic response protocols. Prior infections had still not been grouped or identified.
December 30, 2019: China’s national CDC notifies the WHO.
December 31, 2019: The WHO publicly reports the new virus outbreak.
January 7, 2020: Chinese virologists identify the virus and confirm a full genome sequencing five days later.
In light of the above, please would you explain your claims that Chinese medical authorities “covered up” the outbreak and “cost the world two months” of preparation time. The claimed two-month delay would mean China had to notify the world in October of a virus that would not emerge for another six weeks. Please would you elaborate on your claims?
35. If it were China with the above history and SARS, MERS, AIDS, EBOLA, bird flu, swine flu, and COVID-19 first erupted in the US, you would claim this as 100% proof that China was responsible. It cannot be a surprise that much of the world today is naturally tending to lay these outbreaks at your doorstep. Would you care to comment?
36. Mr. Pompeo instructed the global State Department staff to vigorously blame China for COVID-US, although I believe Mr. Pompeo is on record as having stated that the government “lies, cheats, and steals” in order to accomplish its objectives. If memory serves, he publicly admitted that lying is one of the most powerful American abilities, sprinkling baseless accusations like pouring dirty water into clean water, to leave a polluted slurry. Since Mr. Pompeo functions at your pleasure, would you please comment on the extent to which you share his philosophy? (46) (47)
37. Mr. Pompeo issued the global State Department staff with specific orders to paint the US “in every interview” as “The greatest humanitarian nation in the history of the world”. But you recently increased sanctions on Iran, preventing the purchase of critical medical supplies, and you ensured the World Bank would decline Venezuela’s plea for financial medical assistance. While China, Russia, and Cuba have sent medical supplies and physicians to nearly 100 nations around the world, your USA has provided assistance to nobody. These actions would seem inconsistent with your self-image of a ‘great humanitarian nation’, instead of appearing to the world as almost savagely inhuman. Please would you reconcile this apparent discrepancy?
38. Many people in Iran and Venezuela too, are dying every day now as a direct result of your policies. Please would you explain the pleasure derived from killing?
39. Recent news reports that you called the President of tiny South Korea to beg for medical supplies. That seems a bit pathetic, but perhaps you could explain. Reports that China is shipping thousands of tonnes of medical supplies to the US. Would you care to comment on the position that the world should treat the US as the US is treating Iran, and refuse to send anything?
40. The 1918 “Spanish” influenza pandemic that killed between 20 million and 50 million people were proven to have originated in the US and propagated throughout the world from secrecy and recklessness. The 2008 H1N1 pandemic also originated in the US and spread through the world from the same causes, your CDC for 6 months unable or unwilling to identify the pathogen, while maintaining the secrecy and promoting misinformation, causing between 200,000 and 500,000 premature deaths worldwide. HIV-AIDS also originated in the US, its simultaneous spread to two other continents still a matter of fierce debate. Would you care to comment on US culpability in these deadly epidemics? Do you plan to apologize to the world for your carelessness? Would you support class-action lawsuits in favor of the victims?
Epilogue
I believe the truth about COVID-US will eventually come out. There must be many people with personal knowledge of the source and method of distribution. What we need now is one more brave Edward Snowdon or Chelsea Manning to leak the information. We will then see how truly the US treasures its whistle-blowers.
ABOUT AUTHOR: Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman. He has held senior executive positions in international consulting firms and owned an international import-export business. He has been a visiting professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University, presenting case studies in international affairs to senior EMBA classes. Mr. Romanoff lives in Shanghai and is currently writing a series of ten books generally related to China and the West. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He can be contacted at: 2186604556@qq.com
U.S GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON “BIOWEAPONS”
STATE.GOV – On March 9, 2022, the U.S. State Department issued an Official Press Statement refuting all Bio and Chemical Weapons claims made by Russia.
“The Kremlin is intentionally spreading outright lies that the United States and Ukraine are conducting chemical and biological weapons activities in Ukraine. We have also seen PRC officials echo these conspiracy theories. This Russian disinformation is total nonsense and not the first time Russia has invented such false claims against another country. Also, these claims have been debunked conclusively and repeatedly over many years.
As we have said all along, Russia is inventing false pretexts in an attempt to justify its own horrific actions in Ukraine. The United States does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine, it is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention, and it does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere. It is Russia that has active chemical and biological weapons programs and is in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention.
Finally, Russia has a track record of accusing the West of the very crimes that Russia itself is perpetrating. These tactics are an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attacks on Ukraine. We fully expect Russia to continue to double down on these sorts of claims with further unfounded allegations.”
Read The Full Official Statement here at “State.gov – The Kremlin’s Allegations of Chemical and Biological Weapons Laboratories in Ukraine
Notes
(1) Did the US wage germ warfare in Korea
(2) US used horrific biological weapons
(3)REVEALED: The long-suppressed official report on US biowarfare in North Korea
(4) Decades of U.S. Biowarfare Against Cuba
(5) William Blum, Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II [Common Courage Press, 1995]).
(6) COVID-19 and the CIA’s Biological Warfare on Cuba
(7) Research into deadly viruses and biological weapons at US army lab shut down over fears they could escape
(8) The U.S. is the World Leader of Bio-Weapons Research, Production, and Use Against Mankind
(9) US Military Bio-labs in Ukraine, Production of Bio-weapons and “Disease-Causing Agents”
(10) The original links are no longer active. An archive search would be necessary to locate the Wenweipo, AP, and Reuters articles.
(11) Why Didn’t Any Americans Die From SARS?
(12) South Korea MERS Emerged Out Of The Pentagon’s Biowarfare Labs
(13) NOT AVAILABLE
(14) U.S. is Responsible for the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: Liberian Scientist
(15) https://rense.com/general96/ebostrain.html
(16) A description of Shincheonji from a friend named Kate
(17) Did Trump Tacitly Threaten to Use Biological Weapons to Exterminate 10 Million?
(18) Donald Trump threatens Afghanistan that he could wipe it ‘off the face of the Earth’
(19) NOT AVAILABLE
(20) CDC suddenly shuts down US Army’s Fort Detrick bioweapons lab due to ‘lapses in safety
(21) Why was a US military lab handling high-level disease shut down in July 2019?
(22) NOT AVAILABLE
(23) Chinese pig farm jams drone of crooks spreading African swine fever
(24) New study further proves Wuhan seafood market is not the source of COVID-19
(25) NOT AVAILABLE
(26) PM Morrison: 80 percent of Australian cases are imported, mostly from the U.S.
(27) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a joint press conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, on February 28, 2020. /Reuters
(28) 3 of Iceland’s coronavirus cases have been traced to Denver
(29) Corona Virus Japan Hawaii
(30) Coronavirus may have been in Italy for weeks before it was detected
(31) Tom Bossert, Trump’s homeland security adviser, fired as Bolton takes power, source says
(32) Top White House Official in Charge of Pandemic Response Exits Abruptly
(33) Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response
(34) Corona Virus Test Delays
(35) NOT AVAILABLE
(36) US officials stopped the use of flu research to test for Covid-19
(37) Trump On His Response To Coronavirus: ‘I’d Rate It A 10’
(38) 13 times Trump’s coronavirus claims have gone down in flames
(39) Contribution by an online friend whose name I have not learned.
(40) Health Corona Virus Secrecy
(41) Exclusive: White House told federal health agency to classify coronavirus deliberations – sources
(42) US to spend US$50b, buy oil amid virus economic pain
(43) CDC Botched Handling of Deadly Flu Virus
(44) CDC Director Releases After-Action Report on Recent Anthrax Incident; Highlights Steps to Improve Laboratory Quality and Safety
(45) Newly disclosed CDC biolab failures ‘like a screenplay for a disaster movie’
(46) Administration Mounts Americas First Real Challenge to Chinese Communist Party
(47) Administration mounts America’s first real challenge to Chinese Communist Party


veteranstoday--2020-04-02--Taliban team arrives in Afghan capital to begin prisoner exchange process

[ Editor ’ s Note : The first planned prisoner swap of 100 got nixed , when the Taliban launched two major attacks on Afghan forces north and south of Kabul with many KIAs .
So I am surprised to see this news so soon afterwards .
The Taliban had earlier refused to negotiate with Kabul , claiming that its team was not diverse enough .
This impediment seems to have been resolved , possibly due their wanting to create a situation where the US could begin pulling its forces out while the peace talks are going on .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be is anyone ’ s guess , starting with the question of whether the Taliban will kill the talks once again with its usual attacks on government forces whenever it is unhappy about something .
Has the Taliban made a decision to get the first batch of US troops out so Trump has his reelection claim boost , and will they want to twist the arm of Kabul into making concessions ?
There has been not a word mentioned about how the Afghan drug trade is going to be carved up .
Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down , as it had done once before , and kiss all that money away ; and would those now controlling it want to cede control after enjoying an annual $ 100 billion cash flow ?
…Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > A Taliban delegation is in Afghanistan ’ s capital to start a prisoner exchange process with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for intra-Afghan peace talks , which are envisaged in an agreement reached in February between the militant group and the United States .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a three-member “ technical team ” had arrived in Kabul on Tuesday to “ help the process of prisoners ’ release by identification of the prisoners , ( and ) their transportation.
” The prisoner swap — which is pivotal to kick-starting peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban — calls for the exchange of 6,000 prisoners held by the two warring sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intra-Afghan dialog — will be aimed at restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan and ending Washington ’ s 18-year invasion of the Asian state .
The prisoners exchange had been a sticking point between the Afghan government and the Taliban amid their differences over the process and its timetable .
“ They ( Taliban delegates ) are here now and we will begin our discussion , ” a senior Afghan government official was quoted by Reuters as saying .
“ The prisoner release might go ahead in a few days if everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been refusing to recognize the Afghan government until they reached a deal with the United States — in the absence of representatives from Kabul — in Doha , Qatar , on February 29 .
Under the deal , the Taliban agreed to sever ties with al-Qaeda and other terror groups and sit down for peace talks with the Afghan government .
In return , Washington will start a phased withdrawal of troops .
The Afghan government was a party neither to the negotiations nor to the deal , but it has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including by agreeing to free Taliban prisoners .
The developments come amid a power struggle between incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and his main rival in Afghanistan ’ s 2019 presidential election , Abdullah Abdullah , who are at loggerheads over the results of the vote won by Ghani .
The prisoner swap process , however , was facilitated after Abdullah agreed to endorse the negotiating team appointed by the government despite the election row .
Last week , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Kabul and later to Doha — where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urge all sides to move forward with the process , which at that point was deadlocked .
On Tuesday , Pompeo praised the Afghan political groups for setting aside their differences over forming a negotiating team .
“ We ’ ve seen a ( negotiating ) team identified .
Looks like it ’ s pretty inclusive , pretty broad .
We ’ re happy about that , ” Pompeo told a news conference in Washington .
“ We ’ ve begun to see some work done on prisoner releases as well — all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can get to the inter-Afghan negotiations , which ultimately will prove to be the only mechanism that has any hope of delivering peace and reconciliation to the people , ” he said .
The US and its allies invaded the Asian country to topple the Taliban regime in 2001 , accusing it of harboring the al-Qaeda terrorist group .
The invasion did topple the regime , but failed to end the Taliban ’ s militancy .
The militants now control or hold influence over more Afghan territory than at any point since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks against US-led foreign forces and Afghan military outposts throughout the war-ravaged country .
Over 100,000 Afghans have been killed or injured since 2009 , when the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began documenting casualties .
The Daesh terrorist group has also emerged in the Asian country more recently .

...by PressTV, Tehran
[ Editor’s Note: The first planned prisoner swap of 100 got nixed, when the Taliban launched two major attacks on Afghan forces north and south of Kabul with many KIAs. So I am surprised to see this news so soon afterwards.
The Taliban had earlier refused to negotiate with Kabul, claiming that its team was not diverse enough.
This impediment seems to have been resolved, possibly due their wanting to create a situation where the US could begin pulling its forces out while the peace talks are going on.
What the tangible results of all this will be is anyone’s guess, starting with the question of whether the Taliban will kill the talks once again with its usual attacks on government forces whenever it is unhappy about something.
Has the Taliban made a decision to get the first batch of US troops out so Trump has his reelection claim boost, and will they want to twist the arm of Kabul into making concessions?
There has been not a word mentioned about how the Afghan drug trade is going to be carved up. Will the Taliban demand that it be totally shut down, as it had done once before, and kiss all that money away; and would those now controlling it want to cede control after enjoying an annual $100 billion cash flow? …Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
– First published … April 02, 2020 –
A Taliban delegation is in Afghanistan’s capital to start a prisoner exchange process with the government meant to pave the way for intra-Afghan peace talks, which are envisaged in an agreement reached in February between the militant group and the United States.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a three-member “technical team” had arrived in Kabul on Tuesday to “help the process of prisoners’ release by identification of the prisoners, (and) their transportation.”
The prisoner swap — which is pivotal to kick-starting peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban — calls for the exchange of 6,000 prisoners held by the two warring sides.
The peace negotiations — known as the intra-Afghan dialog — will be aimed at restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan and ending Washington’s 18-year invasion of the Asian state. The prisoners exchange had been a sticking point between the Afghan government and the Taliban amid their differences over the process and its timetable.
“They (Taliban delegates) are here now and we will begin our discussion,” a senior Afghan government official was quoted by Reuters as saying. “The prisoner release might go ahead in a few days if everything goes as planned.”
The Taliban militants had been refusing to recognize the Afghan government until they reached a deal with the United States — in the absence of representatives from Kabul — in Doha, Qatar, on February 29.
Under the deal, the Taliban agreed to sever ties with al-Qaeda and other terror groups and sit down for peace talks with the Afghan government. In return, Washington will start a phased withdrawal of troops.
The Afghan government was a party neither to the negotiations nor to the deal, but it has been acting in accordance with its terms, including by agreeing to free Taliban prisoners.
The developments come amid a power struggle between incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and his main rival in Afghanistan’s 2019 presidential election, Abdullah Abdullah, who are at loggerheads over the results of the vote won by Ghani.
The prisoner swap process, however, was facilitated after Abdullah agreed to endorse the negotiating team appointed by the government despite the election row.
Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Kabul and later to Doha — where the Taliban have an office — to urge all sides to move forward with the process, which at that point was deadlocked. On Tuesday, Pompeo praised the Afghan political groups for setting aside their differences over forming a negotiating team.
“We’ve seen a (negotiating) team identified. Looks like it’s pretty inclusive, pretty broad. We’re happy about that,” Pompeo told a news conference in Washington.
“We’ve begun to see some work done on prisoner releases as well — all elements that have to come together so we can get to the inter-Afghan negotiations, which ultimately will prove to be the only mechanism that has any hope of delivering peace and reconciliation to the people,” he said.
The US and its allies invaded the Asian country to topple the Taliban regime in 2001, accusing it of harboring the al-Qaeda terrorist group. The invasion did topple the regime, but failed to end the Taliban’s militancy.
The militants now control or hold influence over more Afghan territory than at any point since that time and have carried out near-daily attacks against US-led foreign forces and Afghan military outposts throughout the war-ravaged country.
Over 100,000 Afghans have been killed or injured since 2009, when the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began documenting casualties. The Daesh terrorist group has also emerged in the Asian country more recently.


veteranstoday--2020-04-02--Trump’s ‘Hospital worker stolen masks’ Found, in Massive alleged Hasidic Stockpile Seized by FBI

Trump accused New York hospital workers of stealing hundreds of thousands of face masks .
The FBI started grilling doctors and nurses , but then the truth finally came out and the FBI , quite properly , acted .
Lo and behold , whoodathunkit : A Brooklyn man claiming to be infected with the coronavirus coughed on FBI agents who were investigating him for hoarding medical supplies , the US Attorney ’ s Office said Monday .
Baruch Feldheim , 43 , is facing charges of assault and making false statements to the feds on Sunday outside his Borough Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive amounts of N95 respirator masks , federal officials said .
Feldheim is also accused of price-gouging .
On March 18 , he ’ s suspected of selling a New Jersey doctor about 1,000 of the masks for $ 12,000 , a markup of roughly 700 percent , authorities said .
The accused fraudster also directed another doctor to an Irvington , NJ , auto repair shop to pick up another order .
There , the doctor reported to investigators that Feldheim was allegedly hoarding enough medical supplies “ to outfit an entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was operating from his Brooklyn home , offering to push surgical gowns to a nurse , the feds said .
Two days later , the suspected hoarder received a gigantic shipment at his home of about eight pallets of face masks .
FBI agents then staked out his house , first noticing empty boxes of N95 masks outside .
New York Post : On Sunday , they said they witnessed “ multiple instances ” of people approaching Feldheim ’ s residence and walking away with what appeared to be medical supplies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping a safe social distance over coronavirus fears .
“ When the agents were within four to five feet of him , Feldheim allegedly coughed in their direction without covering his mouth , ” the US attorney ’ s release said .
“ At that point , Feldheim told the FBI agents that that he had the Coronavirus , ” the statement said .
Feldheim then allegedly lied to FBI agents regarding his possession and sale of medical supplies .
He falsely told the agents that he worked for a company that bought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took physical custody of the materials .
Following Feldheim ’ s arrest , the FBI on Monday night raided a warehouse on Pennsylvania Avenue in an industrial section of Linden , NJ , that housed Feldhim ’ s suspected stash of 80,000 masks , a source said .

Introduction
Trump accused New York hospital workers of stealing hundreds of thousands of face masks. The FBI started grilling doctors and nurses, but then the truth finally came out and the FBI, quite properly, acted. Lo and behold, whoodathunkit:
At a time when the medical field need mask the Hasdic Community was hoarding….smdh pic.twitter.com/CHhxTYtcVv
A Brooklyn man claiming to be infected with the coronavirus coughed on FBI agents who were investigating him for hoarding medical supplies, the US Attorney’s Office said Monday.
Baruch Feldheim, 43, is facing charges of assault and making false statements to the feds on Sunday outside his Borough Park home where he allegedly peddled and stored massive amounts of N95 respirator masks, federal officials said.
Feldheim is also accused of price-gouging. On March 18, he’s suspected of selling a New Jersey doctor about 1,000 of the masks for $12,000, a markup of roughly 700 percent, authorities said.
The accused fraudster also directed another doctor to an Irvington, NJ, auto repair shop to pick up another order. There, the doctor reported to investigators that Feldheim was allegedly hoarding enough medical supplies “to outfit an entire hospital.”
The materials included hand sanitizers, Clorox wipes, chemical cleaning agents and surgical supplies.
By last Monday, Feldheim was operating from his Brooklyn home, offering to push surgical gowns to a nurse, the feds said.
Two days later, the suspected hoarder received a gigantic shipment at his home of about eight pallets of face masks.
FBI agents then staked out his house, first noticing empty boxes of N95 masks outside.
New York Post: On Sunday, they said they witnessed “multiple instances” of people approaching Feldheim’s residence and walking away with what appeared to be medical supplies.
The agents confronted Feldheim outside his house, keeping a safe social distance over coronavirus fears.
“When the agents were within four to five feet of him, Feldheim allegedly coughed in their direction without covering his mouth,” the US attorney’s release said. “At that point, Feldheim told the FBI agents that that he had the Coronavirus,” the statement said.
Feldheim then allegedly lied to FBI agents regarding his possession and sale of medical supplies.
He falsely told the agents that he worked for a company that bought and sold PPE and that he never took physical custody of the materials.
Following Feldheim’s arrest, the FBI on Monday night raided a warehouse on Pennsylvania Avenue in an industrial section of Linden, NJ, that housed Feldhim’s suspected stash of 80,000 masks, a source said.