Recent terrorist attacks throughout the world, have left nearly all countries on extremely high alert to impending attacks. These attacks have also raised the issue of the possibility of biological weapons being used against humans. The threat became a reality when anthrax was distributed throughout the U.S. Postal Service. A relatively small attack like that, sent panic throughout the nation, and left a handful of people dead. The development of biological weapons must be stopped because these weapons serve no real purpose other than terrorism, and could lead to the loss of millions of innocent lives.
A month or so before Christmas, three people, most likely male, walked into a crowded shopping mall in Oklahoma City. Dressed as maintenance workers and carrying plant sprayers, they strolled among the holiday shoppers, tending to the potted plants that decorated the gaily lit corridors. A short time later, their work complete, the three walked to mall exits and vanished into the night. At that moment two other teams were doing the same thing at malls in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
At 7p.m. on December 9, the president of the United States met secretly with his National Security Council-which included the na
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“If the smallpox virus were released today, the majority of the world’s population would be defenseless, and given the virus’ 30 percent kill rate, nearly two billion people could die. ” [Silent Weapons – Awake!(Foreign Affairs Magazine)] While smallpox was the focus of the “Dark Winter” simulation, it is not the only biological agent that has been considered for use in weapons. Their symptoms might baffle doctors or mimic those of more common illness. If one country decides to use a biological weapon upon their opponent, they would have to wait days, weeks, or even months for the effects of the attack to be felt. Intelligence revealed that a former Vector scientist, an expert in smallpox, had left Russia and was believed to be in Iraq. The scenario, which was cod named “Dark Winter,” also exposed some of the vulnerabilities of the U. All of the listed diseases have very high death rates, along with being very hard to cure, which makes it quite clear why biological weapons are such a menacing threat to mankind. The countries in yellow that have biological research programs are Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Syria, and North Korea. They would appear to be too slow-acting and unpredictable for surprise attacks or repelling the immediate attacks of others. Other agents that have been considered include anthrax, botulism, plague, ebola, ricin, typhoid, foot and mouth disease, salmonella, cholera, yellow fever and the list goes on.
Federal and state authorities immediately swung into action, and within 24 hours FBI agents were combing the streets of Oklahoma City. Congress and state legislatures, the FBI and CIA, fire and police departments, the Defense Department and National Guard, public health agencies and private physicians-all lost valuable time and energy in the confusion over procedures and turf. Why would any country want to support terrorism? The “Dark Winter” scenario may have just been a simulation but it clearly illustrated exactly what could happen if just a small amount of a biological agent is released on humans. Another frightening problem that was discovered is the fact that once the stockpile of smallpox vaccine dries up, it takes 24 – 36 months to produce new vaccine. Which could potentially cost millions of lives.
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