Bioterrorism

The Use of Biological Weapons

Historically, bioterrorism was not easy to target at the enemy. This inability to control biological agents could cause the infection of all the parties, not just the enemy. Using devices such as gas masks allowed the users of biological weapons to protect themselves from their weapons. Biological weapons generally are not limited to use against combatants, but they are also used to demoralize the [Page 134]civilian population. In the 19th century and early 20th century, anthrax, and also glanders, was used against animals in an attempt to affect the food supply and work animals.

The United States stopped producing offensive biological weapons in 1969. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon asked the Senate to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons, and on their Destruction. But bioterrorism continued to be something that terrorists used, especially small cells. Because of the nature of biological weapons, a small amount can affect a large population. This phenomenon is a part of the appeal of bioterrorism. Additionally, modern medicine has developed antidotes and vaccines, which make it possible for terrorists to protect themselves, for example, through vaccination, from the effects of the biological agent.

In 1984, there was a bioterrorist attack in Oregon in the United States. The attacker, identified as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, placed a form of Salmonella in salad bars and in other public places. More than 700 people were infected, but no one died. Another serious attack occurred in 2001 when anthrax was mailed to journalists and U.S. Congress, killing five people. These intentional acts were an important influence on the shift to include intentional acts, or bioterrorism, to attitudes about food and water safety and security. Prior to these and related events that occurred in other parts of the world, most safety and security concerns were based on an assumption that danger would derive from either an accident or a weather disaster.

Emergency Preparedness

The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 was enacted by Congress in response to the attacks on the United States known collectively as 9/11. Although the 9/11 attacks were not bioterrorism, the threat that the attacks represented and the possibility of food and water security becoming targets became apparent. The official name of the act is the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. It is important because is it designed to protect the safety and security of both the food supply and the water supply in the United States, in particular, and other systems that are vulnerable to bioterrorism attack. Although the law is federal, it requires that local plans be developed to deal with local areas that might be subject to attack either by open violence or stealth. The emphasis on local planning also makes the action both less centralized and locally controlled, making an attack less subject to becoming widespread.

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