Earlier this week, the U.S. Post Office intercepted letters addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker (R–Miss.) and Pres. Barack Obama that contained a mysterious white powder. The substance turned out to be ricin, a deadly toxin that can kill within days. But just how dangerous were these attacks?
Since the Obama administration was first warned about the dangers of new ricin attacks in 2010, it has requested periodic updates on the white, powdery substance—from where it is being produced to the places it’s being shipped. In 2011 U.S. counterterrorism officials received word that al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen was making efforts to get large amounts of castor beans, the plant source from which the toxin is produced. That same year four American men—Frederick Thomas, Dan Roberts, Ray Adams and Samuel Crump—were arrested for plotting to poison hundreds with ricin as well as blow up government buildings.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Murderous Mail: How Dangerous Are the D.C. Ricin Attacks?: Scientific American
