I'm in the middle of a paper on what the gradual evolution
of bioterrorism might look like (and scaring myself silly in the
process). Unfortunately it isn't going to be a public paper.
You know the "crop duster" idea? It turns out that was developed
by our own theorists as a good way to attack Washington with
Anthrax spores and published in an Office of Technology Assessment
report in 1994. [Stupid, stupid, stupid...]
A good source is a collection of articles from the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no4/contents.htm
Particularly the Tucker, Davis and Olson articles.
Samantha, I'd like to particularly suggest that you read them.
Lets assume the Iraqi's still have 1/10th of the 84,250 liters
of anthrax spores they were supposed to have produced. Lets
assume that 100 kg (@ 1kg/l) can kill the low end of the 130,000
to 3 million people estimated in the OTA assement. That quantity
of spores would kill more than 10 million people if they could
find a way to deliver it effectively.
Hussein has already demonstrated a willingness to use such
weapons. The only thing stopping him is the knowledge that
we wouldn't hesitate to erase him from the planet if he did.
Heed these words:
> "Too many times in the past we have failed to anticipate future
> developments; refused to think the unthinkable and expect the
> unexpected. Too many times we have been out maneuvered by those who
> take the time to think and plan and do not simply rely on reacting
> to events. We must learn to think like our potential adversaries
> if we are to avoid conflict or blunt an attack, because only superior
> thinking and planning (not just better technology) will enable us to
> survive biological warfare."
- Christopher J. Davis, Johns Hopkins, 1999(!)
Robert
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