Politicians react to cloning claim

Lawmakers in the US have renewed their efforts to ban all forms of human cloning, following the announcements made by Clonaid at the end of last year that two cloned babies have already been born and three more are due within weeks.

A bill banning all forms of human cloning was passed in the US Congress last year, but failed to be passed through the Senate by the end of the session. Now a new bill has been introduced to Congress by Republicans Dave Weldon and Bart Stupak. In addition, a bill banning reproductive cloning whilst protecting therapeutic cloning will be reintroduced to the Senate on 15 January.

Clonaid's claims have yet to be substantiated. The company has stated that the parents of baby Eve, the first human clone alleged to have been born, have now refused to submit her to DNA testing unless they receive a guarantee that the baby will not be taken away from them. A Florida lawyer has petitioned the court to appoint a legal guardian for the baby. This, said Brigitte Boisselier, Clonaid's chief executive, has led the parents to believe that further legal action might be taken to take the baby away from them.

Dr Michael Guillen, a freelance journalist named by Clonaid to independently oversee the DNA tests, has since announced that he will not remain involved because his team of scientists had no access to the child. Guillen told journalists that he thought the cloning claim might actually be 'part of an elaborate hoax to bring publicity to the Raelian movement'. He added 'when and if an opportunity to collect DNA samples as promised does arise, however, the team stands fully prepared to re-mobilise and conduct the necessary tests'. But Clonaid has since been ordered by a US court to reveal the whereabouts of the baby and her mother at a hearing that will take place on 22 January.