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BOOKS Reviewed by Ruth Parnell THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE by Leonard A. Cole Publisher: W. H. Freeman, USA, 1997 ISBN: 0-7167-2950-4 (287pp hic) Price: AUD$39.95; NZD$39.95; STG£26.95; USD$22.95 Distributors: Aust—Macmillan, ph (03) 9699 8922; NZ—Macmillan, ph (09) 415 6677; UK—Macmillan, ph 01256 332807; USA—W. H. Freeman, ph (212) 576 9400. lhe biblical ten plagues once inflicted upon the Egyptians did not include bio- logical and chemical warfare. According to author Leonard Cole (a science and public policy lecturer at Rutgers University) the era of "the eleventh plague" started in the trenches of World War I in 1915, when German troops released chlorine gas against the French. The use of poison in warfare had been taboo since at least ancient Greek times, but what happened to change that is thoughtfully considered by Cole in his latest book, The Eleventh Plague, which takes up where his 1990 Clouds of Secrecy left off. By the 1950s Pandora's box was opened wide when some governments (including the US, which had not ratified the 1925 Geneva Protocol) began to scale-up development of toxic biological and chemical agents and simulants and test them on their own people. Cole asks whether our sense of "moral repugnance", so emphasised in the Protocol, has been dulled in this modern age when new chemical agents and organisms are born in top-secret defence labs where scientists tread a fine moral line between "defensive" and "offensive" research. Cole analyses the lessons of CBW use by Iraq in the 1980s and the Gulf War, and by 1990s political and religious terrorists. He explains how moves are now being made to strengthen the biological and chemical war- fare conventions, to curb the powers of gov- ernments and organisations particularly in view of developments in genetic engineer- ing. He urges us to arm ourselves with the facts on these indiscriminate weapons, yet fails to tackle the "conspiracy politics" underlying these pressing concerns. ET issue shaped the scenes behind the Cold War, to the frustration of the CLA and KGB. On duty at Fort Riley, Kansas, on the night of 6 July 1947, Corso glimpsed a strange cargo: an EBE, floating in preservative. As fate would have it, in 1961 Corso was post- ed to the Army R&D Department's Foreign Technology desk at the Pentagon, inheriting a filing cabinet full of top-secret Roswell files and artefacts. His task was to approach defence contractors to develop the "goods" for military and commercial purposes. During this outsourcing, Corso learnt that some of the ET technology back-engineer- ing was already underway in 1947, though some of his samples did help specific inno- vations in night vision, lasers, integrated cir- cuits, fibre optics, "Star Wars" systems and more. His brave exposé makes an important contribution to UFO/conspiracy history. 6677; UK—Macmillan, ph 01256 332807; ee sloey back-ensineer. USA—W. H. Freeman, ph (212) 576 9400. THE DAY AFTER ROSWELL some of the ET technology back-engineer- lhe biblical ten plagues once inflicted by Colonel Philip J. Corso (Retired) ing was already underway in 1947, though : , . with William J. Birnes some of his samples did help specific inno- Laporte Een nhs io a et simon atom niente, ee author Leonard Cole (a science and public Schuster, USA, UK, 1997 cults, fire ones: Star Wars systems and Ct policy lecturer at Rutgers University) the era SBN: 0-671-00461-1 (348pp h/c) contribution to UFOleonspiracy ‘history, an of "the eleventh plague" started in the Price: AUD$34.95; NZD$45.00; Spiracy TIstory. trenches of World War I in 1915, when STG£16.99; NFL{42,00; USD$24.00 THE TRUTH EXPOSED AFTER FIFTY YEARS! German troops released chlorine gas against Distributors: Aust—Simon & Schuster, ph the French. The use of poison in warfare (02) 9417 3255; NZ—Bookshops; UK— had been taboo since at least ancient Greek Simon & Schuster, ph 0171 316 1900; ; fi times, but what happened to change that is Europe—NEXUS Office, ph +31 (0)321 thoughtfully considered by Cole in his latest 380558; USA—Simon & Schuster, ph book, The Eleventh Plague, which takes up —_ (212) 698 7000, 1800 223 2348. where his 1990 Clouds of Secrecy left off. Cre Philip Corso, who retired from By the 1950s Pandora's box was opened the US Army in 1963 after a distin- wide when some governments (including the _ guished career in military intelligence, is US, which had not ratified the 1925 Geneva _ arguably the highest-ranking officer to go Protocol) began to scale-up development of _ public with his story about the crash of at toxic biological and chemical agents and least one UFO in the New Mexico desert in simulants and test them on their own people. — early July 1947, and the army's retrieval of Cole asks whether our sense of "moral extraterrestrial biological entities (EBEs) repugnance", so emphasised in the Protocol, _and artefacts from the crash site. has been dulled in this modern age when Corso's book, The Day After Roswell, has new chemical agents and organisms are born _ already received media coverage as well as in top-secret defence labs where scientists praise and some criticism amongst ufolo- tread a fine moral line between "defensive" gists, but it should be read for its insights and "offensive" research. into the military UFO cover-up and how the THE TRUTH EXPOSED AFTER FIFTY WEARS! i Frsrs er Plena: ew & Geavcemncers ! Alnetong LED Cosa-up h DAY AFTER ROSWELL WEE WILE JAF Frevcrarl bp mere NEXUS -71 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1997