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Defense attempting to block report about anthrax trial By Yossi Melman The Defense Ministry is attempting to block or delay the release of a new report criticizing the Israel Institute for Biological Research in Nes Tziona for its experiment on an anthrax vaccine, which allegedly afflicted the trial subjects. Shortly before the committee, established by the Israeli doctors union, was due to publish its report last month, Amir Kain, director of security for the defense establishment, demanded to see the report to ensure it did not reveal state secrets. The committee refused, saying the report was not damaging to state security and that the defense establishment had already scrutinized and censored certain documents associated with the report. Advertisement The state prosecution, representing Kain, petitioned the High Court of Justice to block the report from being released, and the court issued a temporary injunction to delay publication. The doctors union and some Israel Defense Forces soldiers, who were vaccinated as part of the experiment, filed a counter-petition to immediately release the report. The High Court will discuss the issue today. If the report is released, criticizing the biological research institute, its director, Avigdor Shafferman, and the IDF Medical Corps - all of which were involved in the experiment, it could support the soldiers' demand that the state recognize the injustice done to them and compensate them accordingly. The committee, headed by Prof. Reuven Porat, was established by the Medical Corps to clear its name of any involvement in the controversial experiment. The once-secret experiment, called Omer Two, began in 1998 and lasted eight years. In the experiment, which was conducted under the auspices of the army's Helsinki committee on human experimentation, 716 IDF soldiers were given seven doses of an anti-anthrax vaccine developed by the Nes Tziona biological institute. But despite the involvement of the Helsinki committee, the mandated procedures were not followed in full, and there was no extended medical supervision of the vaccinated soldiers. A year and a half ago, a group of soldiers vaccinated in the experiment asked the IDF and Defense Ministry for all the details of the experiment, saying they suffered from debilitating side effects. The army and Defense Ministry ignored the request and would not recognize the soldiers as disabled veterans - eligible for benefits from the IDF. The soldiers petitioned the High Court to instruct the relevant authorities to provide all the relevant data and establish a state commission of inquiry into the anthrax experiment. Kain said in response that he had no intention of blocking the publication, only of making sure that state secrets were not revealed in the report. Kain also said he did not plan to attempt to shield the Nes Tziona Institute and/or its director Shafferman, from criticism. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hamas's next move With Israel having pulled the plug on Cast Lead, the ball is now in Hamas's court in Gaza. Testing Obama The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has blown up again, on the U.S. president-elect's doorstep.

Read & React IDF begins partial Gaza troop pullout, after 3-week offensive Responses: 111 Harel & Issacharoff: The ball is now in Hamas' court in Gaza Responses: 27 Aluf Benn: Israel declares victory in Gaza, but at what cost? Responses: 119 Gideon Levy / An open response to A.B. Yehoshua Responses: 97 More Headlines 00:22 Sarkozy: EU would never harm Israel's security 22:59 Olmert: Israel will pull all Gaza troops as soon as possible 21:05 IDF begins Gaza troop withdrawal, hours after ending 3-week offensive 22:31 Haniyeh: Hamas won Gaza war, but was wise to declare truce 15:21 Shin Bet Chief: Hamas will resume arms smuggling to Gaza within a few months 22:39 Likud leading election polls with 29 seats, in wake of Gaza operation 20:02 Ashdod woman hurt by Gaza rocket as Hamas declares truce 19:44 Obama welcomes Gaza truce, says committed to Mideast peace 07:29 ANALYSIS / The ball is now in Hamas' court in Gaza 19:43 Iran to publish English version of satirical book on Holocaust 19:25 IN PICTURES / World leaders discuss Gaza at Sharm summit 20:35 Israel opens field clinic at Gaza border to treat Palestinian wounded 20:05 France raises alert after spate of anti-Semitic attacks over Gaza op 21:27 New York approves plan for first public school with Hebrew focus 14:04 Report: Palestinians find 95 bodies in rubble of battle-torn Gaza 22:13 ANALYSIS / Israel declares victory in Gaza, but at what cost? 18:10 Qatar closes Israel trade office over Gaza op, expels staff from country Previous Editions Select Day 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan 11 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan

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