Queen Zenobia Incident

This conspiracy, taking place in 2005, was masterminded by none-other than Clive R. O'Brian, director of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance.

Background - Terragrigia
The events leading up to this incident date back to 2004, during the joint-BSAA/FBC anti-bioterror campaign in the Mediterranean city of Terragrigia, in what would later be known as the "Terragrigia Panic". After three weeks of warfare against Il Veltro and their Hunter B.O.W.s, FBC head General Morgan Lansdale ordered the FBC to pull out. As they were necessary for the BSAA's continued presense in the city, they were forced to evacuate, too. Not willing to risk any more casualties in the conflict, Lansdale had had the Regia Solis, a parabolic reflector satellite working as part of the city's solar power array, reprogramed. The dish was now set to reflect the maximum amount of light is could do so, sending high-energy ultraviolet radiation (among other components of the EM spectrum) vertically to the surface. With less atmosphere to refract the light when heading straight down, a significant portion of the rays made it to the surface; the collective energy was so great that the city's support structure began to sublime, before collapsing altogether.

O'Brian was angered by Lansdale's act; in doing so he destroyed potential evidence that could be used to prevent another such tragedy. While many lives of the task force servicemen and women were saved, O'Brian warned Lansdale that groups like Veltro would return, and perhaps even multiply.