Page 103 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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A letter containing anthrax was sent to the
New York Post office
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Text of the letter sent to the New York Post
they would have a difficult time distributing bacterial hopkins-biodefense.org.
agents widely without such equipment. On the other Miller, Judith, Stephen Engelberg, and William J. Broad.
hand, a small number of anthrax-contaminated letters Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War.
sickened and killed only a few people but managed
to disrupt the operations of government and frighten Monterey Institute Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
millions.
Biological Terrorism———77
THE FUTURE OF BIOTERRORISM
Most experts believe it would be difficult for terror-
ists to prepare and distribute the large quantities of
pathogens needed to attack a population center.
The failure of the well-funded and scientifically
-
trained Aum Shinryko group to mount an effective
bioweapon attack against Japanese citizens must
surely have been noted by Al Qaeda and other ter-
rorist organizations. Truck, aircraft, and container-
ship cargoes of more readily obtainable high
explosives will probably seem much more attractive
to terrorists than handling pathogens. Terrorist
groups must also have observed that many nations
are making long overdue preparations to deal with
future bioterrorist attacks by producing and stockpil-
ing vaccines, strengthening public health systems,
and putting procedures in place to restrict access to
pathogens.
Not all nations have taken these steps, however,
and profound concerns about terrorist access to con-
cealed bioweapon stockpiles in rogue states still
exist. A variety of avenues for improved readiness
exist. Controls and treaty verification procedures can
be developed to ensure that terrorists cannot succeed
in obtaining pathogens. Genetic engineering can pro-
duce disease-resistant crops. Animals can be vacci-
nated. Improved public health procedures can limit
the spread of disease should an attack take place. The
international community is expected to accelerate the
adoption of these measures in the future to deter bio-
logical attacks by terrorists or manage them should
they occur.
See also AGRICULTURAL TERRORISM; ANTHRAX; AUM
-
SHINRIKYO; CHEMICAL TERRORISM; COUNTERTERRORISM;
BHAGWAN SHREE RAJNEESH; WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION
Further Reading
Alibek, Ken, with Steven Handelman. Biohazard: The
Chilling True Story of the Largest Covert Biological
Weapons Program in the World—Told From Inside by
the Man Who Ran It. New York: Delta, 2000.
Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies. http://www.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
http://www.cns.miis.edu/.