Dirty needles, dirty dealings

October 4, 2006 5:51 AM

"Injection is the real-life story of six health care workers falsely accused and jailed by an Arab dictator [^], the deplorable conditions that led to their arrest, and the simple solution that might have prevented not only this injustice, but millions of needless infections. " [full movie at google video]
posted by tnai (7 comments total)

(i stole the title from this nature.com article because i couldn't think of a better one myself)
posted by tnai at 5:52 AM on October 4, 2006

Wow. Remind me never to get a flu shot in Africa, not that I was planning to anyway.
posted by StarForce5 at 6:07 AM on October 4, 2006

Wow. Remind me never to volunteer in Africa.
posted by jeffburdges at 6:16 AM on October 4, 2006

The film's rather slow-moving, but still important for the information it gives. I haven't been aware of this before. I'd love to see a more slick program on Discovery Channel or a news channel, so that more people will here about this.
posted by luftmensch at 6:31 AM on October 4, 2006

This represents perhaps the worst use of the caret yet on MeFi. As used here it should have led to an article on dictators^ or on Gaddafi^, not to an article about the trial. Of course, just making the whole word the link to Wikipedia would be better. Perhaps your abuse of the caret is actually a good thing as misuse just weakens this silly convention.

Anyway, that Gaddafi would pull such a stunt seems all too plausible.
posted by caddis at 7:14 AM on October 4, 2006

The thing that bugs me about this (I've periodically worked on the Wikipedia article) is the motives of Libya at this point. The "negotiations" over the case have gone through so many twists, turns, and almosts that they blur together. Libya has been offered billions in international assistance, or as they would have it "compensation" -- $10M per child, or $4 billion. All that was accomplished was a new trial, this time without even the testimony of Western experts such as HIV discoverer Luc Montagnier, who was allowed to testify in the first one about the role hospital hygiene may have played.

The US really screwed over Bulgaria, though, having backed them many times during the Lockerbie negotiations (which Libya has pretty clearly signalled is the source of their desire for payback), but reopening diplomatic relations this year anyway.

Anyway, the trial is presently adjourned until October 31, just the latest in numerous delays. It's wrapped up in secular-vs.-religious tensions within Libya as well.

The Bulgarian news agency BTA has a good summary (through last year).
posted by dhartung at 7:51 AM on October 4, 2006

To hell with this caret crap. No bloody carets.
posted by w0mbat at 8:25 AM on October 5, 2006