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Power surge Ashcroft's on the CaseBy Rick Horowitz
WASHINGTON, Any Day Now -- Responding quickly to reports that scientists at a small biotechnology company had cloned human embryos for the first time, federal law-enforcement agents today arrested thousands of unfertilized eggs and other genetic material. The arrests, carried out at the direction of Attorney General John Ashcroft, spanned 17 states including Massachusetts, where the Worcester-based Advanced Cell Technology triggered the current controversy by announcing the first limited success in using cloning techniques to induce human cells to divide. Cell division is essential for the creation of stem cells and possible replacement organs -- and, at least theoretically, of exact genetic copies of existing human beings. Researchers at the firms where the arrests occurred were unable to provide exact figures for the number of eggs and adult skin cells rounded up by federal authorities. "They pretty much cleaned us out," said one scientist. "They took everything they could get their hands on." Justice Department officials, while confirming that the arrests had been made, refused to provide details of the raids, including the total number of detainees, where they're being held, whether formal charges have been lodged, or even why they were arrested. "We have our reasons," said one senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, "and we think they're good ones." On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, the early response to the raids was muted, though some lawmakers expressed frustration that Mr. Ashcroft had once again taken matters into his own hands. While many lawmakers are deeply troubled by the technical and ethical implications of human cloning -- and are considering legislation to ban the practice -- they are also protective of their turf, and don't appreciate what they see as the attorney general's recent tendency to act without consulting them. "If he was such an expert about everything when he was up here [as a senator]," fumed one senior Democrat, "he certainly kept it to himself." For his part, Mr. Ashcroft was quick to deflect the criticism from Capitol Hill and elsewhere. Speaking to reporters this afternoon, the attorney general implied that the raids arose from more than his strongly held "right-to-life" beliefs, which had recently led him, for instance, to try to overturn an assisted-suicide provision already approved by the voters of Oregon. Indeed, the attorney general suggested that the raids were also connected to the September attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. "The president has vowed to root out terrorist cells wherever they exist," Mr. Ashcroft explained, "and that's exactly what we're doing. These cells have the potential to become trigger fingers, or foot soldiers, or even masterminds -- we just can't take that chance." Mr. Ashcroft described the detentions as a "perfectly reasonable response to an emergency situation." He would not say whether any of the arrested cells had been permitted to contact lawyers, and if so, whether those conversations had been monitored by the government. And while not revealing the current location of the detainees, he did confirm that each was being held in solitary confinement. "To let these cells have any contact with one another at this point would be, I think, a huge mistake," Mr. Ashcroft said. The attorney general denied reports that his department had concentrated its efforts on genetic material that originated in particular countries and ethnic groups linked to terrorist activities. "Could someone describe some of the skin cells as 'swarthy'?" Mr. Ashcroft asked rhetorically. "Certainly. But other cells were almost as pale as I am. The second-guessers can say what they want, but we're going to do whatever we need to do to protect the American people." Mr. Ashcroft exited the briefing with a final thought. "Let me remind you that 'blastocyst' starts with 'blast.'" Posted 11/27/01.
Rick has funny genes -- pass it on!
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Rick Horowitz
