on 2 may the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan made an amazing statement. The Department considered it necessary to act with a refutation of hearings about alleged ongoing in Kazakhstan, the development of biological weapons. It looks quite strange, because Kazakhstan is officially no one seems to be not the accused.
We collected information on created in us biological laboratories in the former Soviet republics, from Kazakhstan to Ukraine.
But, of course, from the attention the Kazakh diplomats could not escape two statements made almost simultaneously foreign ministries of the two neighboring countries — Russia and China.
First, in mid-April, the official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova expressed concern with the strengthening of the “American biological presence” on the territory of the former Soviet republics. In her opinion, in these laboratories can work on the creation and modification of causative agents of dangerous diseases, including for military purposes.
29 APR colleague from Russia was supported by foreign Ministry spokesman China Geng Shuang, who said that the Chinese authorities consider dangerous existence of these facilities in the former Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan was not mentioned: from dangerous objects Zakharova was named only the Lugar Center in Georgia. But, of course, the Kazakh diplomats realized that a pebble thrown in their garden. Because those biological laboratory, located in Kazakhstan or, say, in Armenia — that is, in countries that Russia considers to be its allies and partners — essentially no different from the Georgian object. Just know more about it, and he often mentioned Russian diplomats.
the House that dick built
Years of diplomatic Saga over “civilians of the U.S. biological laboratories” of the Russian borders causes I have a strong Association with the old Soviet anecdote of the border conflict with China. “TASS. Yesterday morning, in the valley of the Amur, the Chinese side is composed of 4 divisions, supported by tanks, aircraft and artillery attacked a peaceful Soviet tractor, which was engaged in plowing the collective farm fields near the Soviet-Chinese border. Returning fire, the tractor destroyed 8 planes, 30 tanks and thousands of manpower. Kolkhoz Chairman warns: if a provocation again, it will involve drills and winnowing vertical takeoff”.
the Most famous secret biological facility in the Pentagon in the former Soviet Union is close to Tbilisi, in the village with a nostalgic name Alekseyevka. It is a former Soviet military town, which today is in deep decline. Amid depressing surroundings, and overgrown with red weeds field visits�� new corps public health Center, and Richard Lugar, opened in 2011 with the assistance of the Americans. Nearby is the international airport. And this circumstance gives additional food for conspiracy theorists. Because the sites where work is underway with the causative agents of dangerous diseases, are usually built far away from settlements and transport hubs.
the Late Senator Lugar, whose name is laboratory, that has developed a special program for the former Soviet Union, which was launched on 12 December 1991, i.e. immediately after the collapse of the Union. The essence of this program can be figuratively formulated as follows: “to wrest from the defeated dragon’s remaining teeth.” Help that post-Soviet countries has been provided through the DTRA (Agency for threat reduction the U.S. Department of defense), consisted in financing the destruction of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear missiles, launchers, submarines and bombers. Just 20 years on this program, the U.S. spent $ 8.8 billion, with the lion’s share of this amount was spent by the American contractors and consultants. Later, representatives of the Russian leadership declared that the program caused serious damage to the defense of our country.
In the framework of the same program created by the American biological laboratory in the former Soviet republics. Recently, ex-President of Georgia Saakashvili has tried to ascribe credit for the opening of the Center Lugar only imagine. He told a touching story about how he charmed Americans in Georgia under the pretext of the need of disposing of the Soviet biological weapons, which are supposedly located there. In fact, no biological weapons in Georgia in Soviet times, of course, was not. Tbilisi immediately denied the boastful revelation of fugitive ex-President. Actually overseas virologists in civvies in Georgia invited the White Fox — Shevardnadze. In 2002, Georgia signed with the Ministry of defence of the USA the agreement On “cooperation in the field of technologies and pathogens associated with the development of biological weapons and the proliferation of information in this area.” The customer of the creation of the laboratory in Alekseevka became all the same Agency for threat reduction (DTRA). The construction of the centre, the Americans have allocated $ 300 million.
In 2011, the laboratory was inaugurated. The ceremony was attended by her “godfather” — Senator Lugar, as well as a Andrew Weber, assistant Secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological programs. The head of “peaceful scientific laboratory” Saakashvili has appointed Anna Zhvania, former head of Georgian intelligence. Seeders and winnowers were ready for takeoff.
in fact work in the laboratory were conducted in 2006. And �� mode absolute secrecy: the institution functioned under the personal control of then interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. That is at least 7 years, from 2006 to 2013, when Georgia has a new President, were held in the laboratory studies, the essence of which is not known. Inside was the room to which access was allowed only to American citizens.
In 2013, the Lugar laboratory was transferred under the jurisdiction of the Center for disease control of Georgia, however, American experts are working in it to this day. The program, funded by the United States, continue to run. All this is due to concern about Georgia, the fight against epidemics. However, simultaneously with the opening of the Lugar Center in Georgia was closed Tabaginsky the biokombinat, which in Soviet times produced vaccines against livestock diseases, in particular FMD, rabies and anthrax. This is for today’s Georgia are already out of date?..
Former Minister of state security of Georgia Igor Giorgadze in an interview with “MK” was told that on the website lab free he found very very strange things. For example, a patent for an unmanned aerial vehicle for dissemination in the air of infected insects. “Patent registered in USA, has a number, date, — said Giorgadze. — The description indicated that the invention is designed to infect the enemy with deadly diseases and their elimination with the minimum cost. Also there was a patent for full ammunition for capsules with toxic content. In the description indicate the possibility of equipment capsules of different viruses to infect the troops of the enemy. Another patent on an unmanned aerial vehicle, capable of spraying chemical and biological substances over the areas occupied by the enemy.” Well how here not to remember about the peaceful Soviet tractor with rockets!
on may 2 the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili spoke out sharply against “defamation” in the laboratory address Lugar. And the Ambassador of China was even invited to the Georgian foreign Ministry regarding the same “slander” distributed, it turns out that for the Chinese media. Well, all the same “iron” argument: the laboratory has long been under the complete jurisdiction of the Georgian side.
However, Amiran Gamkrelidze, head of the National centre for disease control, Ministry of health of Georgia (which seems to be subordinated to the lab), recently said in an interview that access to the storage of dangerous pathogens at the Lugar Center have only five people, and he is not one of them. This, presumably, is the “full control”.
BioLAB as a reason for independence
In Ukraine, unlike Georgia, the Pentagon lab tried not to advertise. For a long time the General public about them were not knownSTNO. The scandal broke in mid-April, when Ukrainian opposition in the Verkhovna Rada in the person of the Deputy from “Oppositional platform For life” Viktor Medvedchuk sent the President a request with the requirement to provide information about accommodation in Ukraine 15 biological laboratories U.S. Department of defense.
the paper argues that there have been repeated leaks of viruses from these laboratories, and this led to outbreaks of disease and even death. In particular, we are talking about the outbreak of hemorrhagic pneumonia in Ternopil that killed 450 people, and a cholera epidemic in 2011, when 33 people died. In January 2016 in Kharkov from swine flu, died from 20 military personnel.
the demarche of deputies responded to the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, which on its website posted the message: “Here, in Ukraine, a program to reduce biological threats of the Ministry of defense is working together with the Ukrainian government on the consolidation and disposal of pathogens and toxins pose a threat to the Ukrainian state facilities to simultaneously conduct peace research and vaccine development”.
That is the Embassy for the first time officially recognized that such laboratories in Ukraine do exist, and they work according to the program of the Pentagon. Exclusively peaceful, of course, goals. However, soon this statement from the website mysteriously disappeared.
In those days, when the President was Yanukovych, Ukraine has tried to get rid of the suspicious American laboratories. What came out of it, “MK” told Ukrainian ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
Nikolai Azarov, when an agreement was signed for the American biological laboratories in Ukraine?
— agreement between the Ministry of defense and the Ministry of health of Ukraine, according to which open these laboratories, which was signed on 29 August 2005. At that time the President was Viktor Yushchenko. These agreements were kept secret. Until 2005, the Americans did not come to us with this proposal. No negotiations on this subject were not. But with the coming to power of Viktor Yushchenko, representatives of the United States clearly put before him a condition: open BioLAB. Such negotiations began, and was signed these agreements, which determined the procedure for cooperation between the two ministries in this area. The Ministry of health of Ukraine was obliged to provide suggestions for location of these laboratories. A U.S. Department of defense is involved in their arrangement.
Who is directly negotiated with the Americans on this topic?
— Negotiation led the government delegation, which has received all authority from Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko while she was Prime Minister. All this happened in a situation sekretnostand, no information about the negotiations was not. No one had no idea that such negotiations are generally conducted. The agreement was signed, and began to establish these labs.
— And when and how you found out about them?
In 2010, after the election victory of Yanukovych, us Ministry of health (under the new Minister) has prepared an information that on the territory of Ukraine there are American biological laboratory, where denied access to the Ukrainian specialists. These laboratories are working autonomously. In this it was necessary to restore order, find out what they were doing.
What do you then do?
— negotiations Began at the level of the American Embassy that our experts were allowed in these labs for inspection. Correspondence with the Americans was neither good, nor bad. In 2010, we were in a very serious condition, it was necessary to emerge from the crisis of 2008-2009. We depended on IMF aid. Therefore, this issue was not much pedal.
However, in 2011 Americans gave permission for a joint inspection. A schedule, inspection has taken place. And the conclusion was that the Americans almost nothing showed, everything was reduced to a purely formal exchange of securities. Then in late 2012 the US government had sent an official note that Ukraine proposes to terminate the agreement and close these labs. Correspondence began, which continued in 2013. And in November 2013 the Maidan began.
— do You think that your intention to close the laboratory could play a role in the fact that in Ukraine there was a coup?
I can’t 100% say that this issue played a decisive role, but among other reasons of independence he could be. The course, conducted by our government, Americans were not satisfied. It was a course on equal cooperation with the countries of the Customs Union with the EU and with those same Americans. I think the factor of these laboratories was one of those that prompted Americans to contribute actively to the change of power in Ukraine. I’d say so. I have no evidence that this was the cause. But the fact that the coup put an end to all negotiations on this subject, is absolutely unique. After coming to power, Turchinov, Poroshenko, the issue of biological laboratories was withdrawn from the agenda. Our note was withdrawn.
Now the Ukrainian specialists have no access to these laboratories do not have?
I think absolutely I have. There are working representatives of the American Ministry of defense. The work of the laboratories classified. Embassy of the United States recently acknowledged the existence of these laboratories, but gave only very General help.
Next bat
In February 2020 year a scandal broke: Kazakhstan portal Yvision reported that samples of the virus COVID-19 obtained by scientists of the Central reference laboratory (TSRL) in Alma-ATA, allegedly completely coincide with the strain, the study of which was started in TSRL couple of years ago. Indeed, as follows from open sources, in 2017, a group of scientists under the guidance of the American Professor Gavin D. Smith studied coronaviruses of bats living in three caves in Kazakhstan, Ungirly, Karaungir and Caterham. The work was carried out in the framework of the project of the Agency for the prevention of threats to the US Department of defense KZ-33 called “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus” (“middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus”).
on top, research carried out in the area, where the community of Dungans. It’s people speaking the Chinese language and earn a living from Shuttle trade with China.
the Scandal has drawn renewed attention to the biological laboratories, operating in Kazakhstan with the support of the Americans. Statement by Kazakhstan’s foreign Ministry only confirmed what everyone already knew: Yes, such a lab is. But the document provides some interesting details. In particular, in relation to TSRL.
the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan reports that the TSRL was established in the framework of the Executive agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia on liquidation of the infrastructure of WMD (weapons of mass destruction). She received funding through the U.S. Department of defense the Nunn–Lugar program. Currently, said the Ministry of foreign Affairs, TSRL is wholly owned by the Kazakhstan and is financed from the state budget. All employees — citizens of Kazakhstan. All studies are controlled by the Republican authorities. “We declare that in Kazakhstan there are no biological weapons, no research is currently conducted against other States”, — assured the Kazakh foreign Ministry.
the four-story building TSRL in Alma-ATA was built in 2016 with the money of the Ministry of defense of the United States, which is spent on the construction of about $108 million. The laboratory has second and third level of security (in Georgia and Ukraine — the fourth, highest level). It was created on the base of Kazakh scientific center of quarantine and zoonotic infections (CNCS), Ministry of health of Kazakhstan. In addition to this lab in Kazakhstan there are at least five scientific centres, where there are American biological research. Including scientific research Institute of problems of biological safety, national center of biotechnology and the Reference center for veterinary medicine. $ 20 million is the total budget for the 28 programs of biological studies that have been performed in Kazakhstan by the Agency for the prevention of threats (DTRA) U.S. Department of defense. This is something that can easily be found in open sources. In reality ��such programs, probably, there was more.
How many labs?
the Numbers are called different. Not all probably know that.
Ukraine. TSRL were opened in ten cities: Kiev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk (2), Lviv (3 objects), Lugansk, Vinnitsa, Kherson, Ternopil, Uzhgorod, Kharkiv.
Georgia. In addition to the Lugar Center’s under the control of the Pentagon there are several biological objects. It is the Center support of threat reduction in Kutaisi, Vegetable laboratory in Kobuleti, Institute of Microbiology, Virology and bacteriophages in Tbilisi.
Kazakhstan. TSRL in Alma-ATA. And station of early warning of outbreaks of disease, created on the basis of Scientific-research agricultural Institute NISHI.
Azerbaijan. In 2012, the TSRL was opened in Baku on the basis of anti-plague station.
Armenia. TSRL in Yerevan. Laboratory National center for control and prevention of diseases of Ministry of health of Armenia in Ijevan.
Kyrgyzstan. Bio lab in Bishkek was closed due to the protests of citizens.
Moldova. Chisinau.
Tajikistan. Dushanbe.
Uzbekistan. 10 biological laboratories in the cities of Andijan, Bukhara, Urgench, Samarkand, Fergana, Nukus, Denau, Karshi.
help-MK: “to estimate the cost of a U.S. biological laboratory, you can evaluate the funding for them in Georgia. The Lugar Center in Georgia there are three private American company hired a Pentagon — CH2M Hill, Battelle, and Metabiota.
CH2M Hill has a contract with DTRA to $341,5 million, About half of this amount ($161,1 million) have to work for Lugar Center in Georgia.
Battelle has signed a contract with the Pentagon worth $59 million, the American company Metabiota Inc. received $18.4 million on the program DTRA in Georgia and Ukraine for scientific and technical consulting services. These figures are far from complete, but they give an idea of the level of funding”.
No, I certainly believe that these academic institutions only studying dangerous disease and developing drugs and serum. Noble work for the benefit of all mankind. Not bothering anyone, repair Primus. But just look at the numbers. They are in the public domain. How much was spent on creating each of these “medical centers”? How many went to the internships, training of local personnel? To what extent currently funded programs? Sum. And then the inevitable question: what is the true purpose?
