Terrorist Use of Biological Weapons - Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945 - page 291

built a large following in India and had recruited many followers in Eu-
rope and the US as well. In 1981, because of legal difficulties in India, he
moved his group to Oregon, to the Big Muddy Ranch, straddling the
Wasco/Jefferson County line. 10 They set about building a town on the
site, incorporated as Rajneeshpuram, and within three years had a popu-
lation of about 2,000. In so doing, they ran into restrictive county zoning
laws, and relations between the commune and the local authorities rap-
idly became difficult. The cult was also under scrutiny by the federal gov-
ernment for violations of immigration laws (many of its members were
foreign nationals).
The troubled relations between the Rajneesh and the county led the
commune to attempt to take control of the county government by elect-
ing their own candidates to the county commission; they had already
done this in the town of Antelope, adjacent to their commune. However,
the 15,000 registered voters in the county greatly outnumbered the com-
mune members. The Rajneesh responded to this obstacle with an initia-
tive to bring thousands of homeless people to the ranch from cities all
over the US and register them to vote.
In anticipation of a very close vote, the Rajneesh also had the idea of
making potentially opposed voters so ill that they would stay away from
the polls on election day. The biological attacks on The Dalles were ap-
parently trial runs of this scheme. Despite the success of the trials, the
scheme was not implemented during the November elections. The home-
less recruitment fell far behind target, and it became clear that favorable
election results were out of reach; the Rajneesh abandoned their cam-
paign and boycotted the elections.
The plan to use BW originated with the sect's de facto administrator,
Sheela, personal secretary to the Bagwan. 11 Sheela worked closely with
Puja, a registered nurse who was head of the health center at Rajneesh-
puram. 12 Fewer than a dozen people, all senior members of the Rajneesh
insiders, participated in planning the scheme. The Bagwan appears not to
have been involved.
A secret laboratory was established in an out-of-the-way spot on
the commune. Puja obtained the Salmonella by using her credentials as
head of the Rajneesh Medical Corporation. Three people cultivated the
bacteria, and about a half-dozen disseminated the cultures. Only small-
scale culturing was required, using ordinary laboratory glassware and
media.