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Home Front: WoT

Man dead in Denver, large amount of ?cyanide? nearby

2008-08-12

And his name wasn't Chuck. or Ralph. It has the makings of international intrigue. Less than two weeks before the Democratic National Convention a man has been found dead in a Denver hotel room with a container of what authorities initially suspect to be the deadly poison cyanide. Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, 29, appears to be from outside the U.S. No passport was found on Dirie, who is believed to have entered the country from Canada. Adding to the intrigue is that the dead man, Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, 29, appears to be from outside the U.S. No passport was found on Dirie, who is believed to have entered the country from Canada. A large container of a white powdery substance was found in the man's room on the fourth floor of The Burnsley hotel at 10th and Grant. Tests are now being done by the Denver Police Crime Lab to determine exactly what the substance is. The tests could take days. It's believed Dirie died from something other than the substance that was in the container. "Iocaine powder! I knew it all along!" Denver police are leading the investigation of the man's death. The FBI and other governmental agencies, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force, are assisting in the probe. Hazardous materials assistance has included the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado National Guard. "Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in this simply because the victim here is from another country and it just kind of makes sense that our terrorism guys would take a look a look at this," FBI Special Agent in Charge James Davis said. Davis told CBS 4 that nothing so far has been found to link the case to terrorism or the coming convention. He was probably gearing up to do his Mr. Science tour of the local elementary schools. Or maybe he was in the pest extermination business and specialized in convention halls and hotels. Prbly something like that. Innocent guy just trying to make a living, contribute to society, make Mom & Dad proud. Authorities said The Burnsley hotel is safe and is open for business. Cyanide can be made from plants in very small amounts. It can be a gas, liquid or powder. It prevents the body from using oxygen and therefore is more harmful to the heart and brain than other organs. "It was used in concentration camps in World War II and by Saddam Hussein against the Kurds in the 1990s," CBD4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. "And put it in a little capsule, it is in fact used as a suicide pill just like you see in the movies." Officials said cyanide can be used as a terrorist weapon if it is dumped in water put in food, sprayed as a gas, or many other methods. The investigation is continuing.

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Iraq

Two Denver TV news employees deploying to Iraq

2007-05-06

Here are two MSM members with some guts. Denver CBS4 is saying farewell to two of our colleagues who are heading to Iraq to serve their country. Dr. Dave Hnida is the Medical Editor at CBS4 news. Mike Silva is the Copter4 pilot. Hnida has served one tour of duty in Iraq as a combat physician. This time, he'll be caring for the seriously injured in a field hospital. For Silva, heading to Iraq means returning to war 38 years after he first served his country in Vietnam. He officially retired from the Colorado National Guard 14 years ago. It took a briefcase full of documents to persuade the Army that he could come back. Hnida expects his second tour of duty to last about 4 months. Silva will be gone for about 400 days. The two men spoke with CBS4's Jim Benemann in late April about their service. Interview at link

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