Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001

"Following the rally, we are going to go to BioPort and protest outside. We expect hundreds, but possibly thousands,” Roxanne Bates told NewsMax.com. She is the wife of former Air Force Major Sonny Bates, pilot turned activist, who accepted military discipline and a general discharge rather than be vaccinated with the BioPort product.

Distrust of BioPort is still an issue despite the investment of millions of U.S. tax dollars, a rehabilatated plant and close monitoring by the federal Food and Drug Administration, according to Dr. Meryl Nass, an expert on the anthrax vaccine.

"If no one is pressuring the FDA, why do other agencies seem so sure that the [revamped BioPort] vaccine will be released for use by FDA by November 22, which, after performing a series of inspections, has refused to license the plant for the past 2.5 years?” Nass asked.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told the House Government Reform subcommittee recently that if BioPort facilities win FDA approval, "they should be operational” by Nov. 22.

Nass’s distrust was mirrored by Robin Hawes, a rally leader from Battle Creek, who said, "We’re not opposed to a vaccine that would be safe and effective against anthrax, but we are opposed to what’s coming out of BioPort.’’

The armed military contingent stationed at the BioPort plant was instituted after a Pentagon assessment of security measures at the company in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

"The climate has changed significantly,’’ BioPort officials said last month in reaction to the security measures. However, the officials advised, the vaccine itself would not be a threat if exposed or stolen in a terrorist attack.

Although BioPort keeps live anthrax bacteria at its plant, the amount is too small to be of use to terrorists, company officials said. Furthermore, according to BioPort, the anthrax at BioPort is not in a weaponized form, lessening its value to terrorists.

BioPort officials say there is no specific terrorist threat against their facility; "however, in light of current national events, appropriate and prudent security measures are being taken,” the company said in a recent statement.

Maj. Gen. James McCrone of the Michigan National Guard said that BioPort was one of several Pentagon suppliers under enhanced security. McCrone has not stated how many Guard members are stationed at BioPort or for how long.

The rally Sunday – Veterans Day – is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. at the Capitol, after a dedication ceremony for a Vietnam War Memorial. The rally and protest was scheduled for mid-September, but was postponed after the events of Sept. 11.

BioPort is a prime beneficiary of the Pentagon’s $322 million, 10-year program to develop as many as a dozen biological warfare vaccines. The Pentagon pays $4.70 per anthrax vaccine shot, and until a new and improved vaccine becomes available, each member of the armed forces must be administered six shots over an 18-month period.

Fuad El-Hibri is president and chief executive officer of BioPort. Fuad, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, was educated at Yale and has applied for U.S. citizenship.

BioPort’s five-member Board of Directors includes Adm. William J. Crowe, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Reagan administration and ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1994-1997.

According to Fuad, "Three companies currently hold voting equity in BioPort: Intervac LLC and Intervac Management LLC, which are both Maryland limited liability companies, and Michigan Biologic Products, Inc., a Michigan corporation.

"Intervac LLC is the controlling shareholder. Intervac LLC is owned by Admiral Crowe, my wife Nancy and me, and I and F Holdings N.V., a Netherlands Antilles investment company owned by my father Ibrahim El-Hibri ...

"Admiral Crowe and I are the controlling members of Intervac LLC.”

According to Crowe’s associate and spokesman, Jay Coupe, Crowe owns 22.5 percent of Intervac shares, though he hasn’t "invested a penny” in the venture.

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