Unabomber's death unlocks horror story

The death of Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski, a former math professor and "twisted genius" who carried out a 17-year spree of mysterious bombings that baffled the FBI, has shone a light on a hidden scandal in the United States.

Branded the "Unabomber" by the FBI, Kaczynski died on Saturday at the federal prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina, media reported. He was 81.

From 1978 to 1995, the Harvard University graduate made and sent many of his bombs while living in a primitive cabin with no running water in rural Montana, killing three people and injuring 23 others.

He was described by mainstream media as a loner since he was a child. Kaczynski targeted academics, scientists and computer store owners and even tried to blow up a commercial airliner in a one-man terror campaign against what he believed were the evils of modern technology. He was arrested at his cabin in April 1996.

While it is not known exactly what caused Kaczynski to channel his natural talent toward evil, his participation in an infamous science experiment at Harvard may have been one reason, Reuters reported.

There, psychologists subjected volunteer students, including Kaczynski, to hours of extreme verbal and emotional abuse as part of an attempt to measure how people handled stress. The experiment, now regarded as unethical, lasted three years.

Harvard psychologist Henry Murray led the experiment from 1953 to 1964. According to a report by The Washington Post, some sources have suggested that Murray's experiments were part of Project MK-Ultra, a CIA program of research into mind control, which was inspired by such techniques used by the US during the Korean War (1950-53).

Xie Maosong, a senior research fellow at the National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, said the tragedy of Kaczynski might be just the tip of the iceberg as the US' intention and behavior to control others, by all means, has rarely been exposed.

There are numerous records that the US government performed experiments on both US citizens and foreigners around the world, he said.

"It's just one aspect of the US' attempt to control the whole world," said Xie, adding that the US is reportedly controlling 336 biological laboratories in 30 countries.

Fort Detrick, where the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases is located, is the center of US biomilitary activities and notorious for its illegal, nontransparent and unsafe practices.

Serious concerns have long been raised by the international community over US activities at Fort Detrick, and there are many doubts about its connection with COVID-19.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US has repeatedly spread fake information on the origin of the virus, while refusing to respond to issues on Fort Detrick.

"What the US has done will shoot itself in the foot," Xie said.