What is Biological Warfare?
Biological warfare (BW), also known as germ warfare, is the use of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, other disease-causing biological agents, or the toxins produced by them as biological weapons (or bioweapons).
Biological warfare is a military technique that can be used by nation-states or non-national groups. In the latter case, or if a nation-state uses it clandestinely, it may also be considered bioterrorism.
The creation and stockpiling of biological weapons ("offensive biological warfare") was outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), signed by over 100 countries. The BWC remains in force, and it prohibits storage, stockpiling, and usage of these weapons. The rationale behind the agreement is to avoid the devastating impact of a successful biological attack which could conceivably result in millions, possibly even billions of deaths and cause severe disruptions to societies and economies. Many countries currently pursue "defensive BW" research (defensive or protective applications) which are not prohibited by the BWC.
Previously as a tactical weapon, the main military problem with a BW attack is that the effects could transmitted to unintended target populations, including neutral or even friendly forces. However as made clear in the book "DNA Armageddon" new techniques in biotechnology allow for the targeting of ethnic groups and even individuals right down to tailor made germs for assassinations of world leaders. Additionally even without those technologies the advent of apocalyptic terrorist groups such as AL Quaida means that containment of transmission would not be an issue.
The consensus among military analysts is that, except in the context of bioterrorism, BW is of little military use; however this is incorrect and extremely naive which only highlights the lack of present day up to date knowledge on new possibilities in biological warfare. These military analysts have lost touch with the latest advances in biotechnology allowing for targeted use of old and even entirely new germs. By entirely new I mean entirely new to nature and totally man made. That is correct! I repeat my words "entirely new man made micro-organisms can be synthesized in the lab for the purpose on mass destruction". Most military generals and law enforcement personnel either dismiss this idea through ignorance or for fear of causing mass panic". My book DNA Armageddon was ignored and still is ignored by most until recently when I was informed that Interpol is indeed taking notice of these issues and acknowledge my book DNA Armageddon was being looked at seriously and the threats mentioned being looked at with added urgency". I truly hope the authorities are tackling the issues mentioned within "DNA Armageddon" and not just claiming to do so for panic control.
Biological warfare is the deliberate use of disease and natural poisons to incapacitate humans. It employs pathogens as weapons. Pathogens are the micro-organism, whether bacterial, viral or protozoic, that cause disease. There are four kinds of biological warfare agents: bacteria, viruses, protists, and fungi. Biological weapons are distinguished by being living organisms, that reproduce within their host victims, who then become contagious with a deadly, if weakening, multiplier effect. Toxins in contrast do not reproduce in the victim and need only the briefest of incubation periods; they kill within a few hours.
The biological agents used in biological weapons can often be manufactured quickly and easily. The primary difficulty is not the production of the biological agent but delivery in an effective form to a vulnerable target.
Production of biological weapons requires starter material in other words a small amount of that agent to begin with. If a biological weapons scientist does not have any starter material how can they grow more of the germ or deadly organism? Again this has become incredibly easy especially with the advent of the Internet Age. Indeed as you can see in "DNA Armageddon" the ease to which for example Anthrax can be acquired is striking. Anthrax can indeed be made easily by most undergraduate science majors. Anthrax is considered an effective agent for several reasons. First, it forms hardy spores, perfect for dispersal aerosols. Second, pneumonic (lung) infections of anthrax usually do not cause secondary infections in other people. Thus, the effect of the agent is usually confined to the target. A pneumonic anthrax infection starts with ordinary "cold" symptoms and quickly becomes lethal, with a fatality rate that is 90% or higher. Finally, friendly personnel can be protected with suitable antibiotics.
Other diseases considered possible for weaponization, or known to be already weaponised include , Ebola, Marburg virus, plague , cholera , tularemia, brucellosis, Q fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Coccidioides mycosis , Glanders, Melioidosis, Shigella, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus , Psittacosis, yellow fever , Japanese B encephalitis , Rift Valley fever, and smallpox. Naturally-occurring toxins that can be used as weapons include Ricin, SEB, botulism toxin, saxitoxin, and many mycotoxins. The organisms causing these diseases are known as select agents. In the United States, their possession, use, and transfer are regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Select Agent Program. As you can see these in DNA Armageddon these control measure are almost useless.
The United States developed an anti-crop capability during the Cold War that used plant diseases (bioherbicides, or mycoherbicides) for destroying enemy agriculture. It was believed that destruction of enemy agriculture on a strategic scale could thwart Sino-Soviet aggression in a general war. Diseases such as wheat blast and rice blast were weaponised in aerial spray tanks and cluster bombs for delivery to enemy water sheds in agricultural regions to initiate epiphytotics (epidemics among plants). When the United States renounced its offensive biological warfare program in 1969 and 1970, the vast majority of its biological arsenal was composed of these plant diseases.
In 1980s Soviet Ministry of Agriculture had successfully developed variants of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest against cows, African swine fever for pigs, and psittacosis to kill chicken. These agents were prepared to spray them down from tanks attached to airplanes over hundreds of miles. The secret program was code-named "Ecology".
Attacking animals is another area of biological warfare intended to eliminate animal resources for transportation and food. In the First World War German agents were arrested attempting to inoculate draft animals with anthrax, and they were believed to be responsible for outbreaks of Glanders in horses and mules. The British tainted small feed cakes with anthrax in the Second World War as a potential means of attacking German cattle for food denial, but never employed the weapon. In the 1950s the United States had a field trial with hog cholera. During the Mau Mau Uprising in 1952, the poisonous latex of the African milk bush was used to kill cattle.
However the above mentioned anti agriculture weapons are old school as a far more deadly threat has emerged. This is the use of GMO food technology as a biological weapon. For example the rice or wheat crop could have toxin genes inserted. These toxin genes would spread quickly from plant to plant meaning the total collapse of world food reserved in a short space of time. An apocalyptic scenario would soon emerge that the author does not need to spell out. Additionally pollen bio weapons could be developed without much difficulty. I am sure the reader could imagine the devastation that toxic pollen could cause to entire nations and possibility on the world scale. Toxic pollen clouds drifting over hundreds of square miles of space! As you will read in "DNA Armageddon" this is indeed another possibility.