During the past century, more than 500 million people have died due to infectious diseases. Several tens of thousands of these deaths were due to the deliberate release of pathogens or toxins. Two international treaties outlawed biological weapons in 1925 and 1972. Unfortunately, these treaties have failed to stop countries from conducting offensive weapons research and large-scale production of biological weapons. As our knowledge increases on these disease-causing agents, so does our fear of future threats of biological warfare (Frischknecht, 2003). Biological warfare can be defined as “living organisms or infected material derived from them, which are used for hostile purposes and intended to cause disease or death in man, animals, and plants, and which depend for their efforts on the ability to multiply in the person, animal, or plant attacked” (Beeching, Dance, Miller, & Spencer, 2002). These agents have a huge impact on agriculture and on human health. History of biological warfare programs Since the beginning of civilization, poisons have been used for assassination purposes. The foundation of microbiology allowed those who were interested in biological weapons, to chose and design different biological agents. The potential dangers of these agents were soon recognized and resulted in two international declarations that prohibited the use of poisoned weapons. These treaties, however, contained no means of control and therefore, interested parties were developing and using biological weapons that we can see illustrated by the German army in the First World War. The German army was the first to use biological and chemical weapons, attempting to infect animals directly and to contaminate animal feed in their enemies’ co... ... middle of paper ... ...ritish Medical Journal, 324(7333), 336. Burgess, S. F., & Purkitt, H. E. (2001). The Rollback of South Africa's Chemical and Biological Warfare Program. AIR UNIV MAXWELL AFB AL CENTER FOR AEROSPACE DOCTRINE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. Frischknecht, F. (2003). The history of biological warfare. EMBO reports, 4, S47-S52. doi: 10.1038/sj.embor.embor849 Lesho, M. E., Dorsey, M. D., & Bunner, D. (1998). Feces, dead horses, and fleas. Evolution of the hostile use of biological agents. Western journal of medicine, 168(6), 512. Roffey, R. R., Tegnell, A. A., & Elgh, F. F. (2002). Biological warfare in a historical perspective. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 8(8), 450-454. doi: 10.1046/j.1469-0691.2002.00501.x Wolfe, D. N., Florence, W., & Bryant, P. (2013). Current biodefense vaccine programs and challenges. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 9(7), 0-1.
As we move into the Twentieth Century the similarities are almost identical. The First World War has shaped not only modern warfare but even produced global attention to the brutal and inhumane death toll of the war. As stated in the Geneva Protocol, which prohibited the use of chemical weapons in warfare, which was signed in 1925? While this was a welcomed step, the Protocol had a number of significant short comings, including the fact that it did not prohibit the development, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons.
Guillemin, J. (2005). Biological weapons: From the invention of state-sponsored programs to contemporary bioterrorism Columbia University Press.
The purpose of this essay is to deal with the fact that chemical warfare should be brought back to modern warfare strategies. As Warren Rudman said, “And they will tell you unequivocally that if we have a chemical or biological attack or a nuclear attack anywhere in this country, they are unprepared to deal with it today, and that is of high urgency.” Rudman’s words are true in what they say and that we should do everything to counter-act his statement. Biological weapons are a key to outstanding success in war and therefore, I strongly suggest that chemical warfare is an effective and producible weapon tactic that can be used on today’s battlefield.
Guillemin, J. (2004). [Review of the book Biowarrior: Inside the Soviet/Russian Biological War Machine by Wendy Orent; Judith Miller; Allan P. Zelicoff]. The History of Science Society, 95(3), 527-528.
Mauroni, A. J. (2007). Chemical and biological warfare a reference handbook (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, Inc..
Biological warfare cannot be explained by SCOT theory because stabilization and closure which is the cornerstone of the SCOT theory are not clearly apparent in the dynamic of biological warfare. In biological warfare, rhetorical closure has not yet been achieved within the international community. For example, the morality of using biological weapons is still an ongoing debate among the countries of the world. In fact, not all countries have signed the Biological Weapo...
With the continuous advancements in biomedicine follows a continuous proliferation of bioterrorism, which uses biological agents for malicious purposes (Anderson 2). More specifically, bioterrorism is a method of terrorism that intentionally releases or disseminates biological weapons that may be in natural occurring or human-modified form (Botulism- Definition). Although bioterrorism is considered as a recent dilemma, the use of biological weapon predates recorded history, during the ancient times where biological toxins were extracted from plants and animals and ap...
The regulation or elimination of chemical and biological weapons has huge societal impacts going into the future. Both sides of this argument greatly understand the severity of these weapons. There usage not only impacts certain regions, but the whole world. The usage of chemical and biological weapons will continue to be a controversial topic because there will be technological advances that make the chemicals and organisms much more deadly. Now is the time to understand and make decisions on the use of chemical and biological weapons before it gets out of hand. However, human civilization has had these “moral’’ arguments from the beginning of time and solving them will be one of our greatest challenges.
Medical College of Wisconsin. “Facts About Anthrax and Smallpox as Bioterrorism Weapons.” Healthlink. 12 Nov. 2001. Medical College of Wisconsin. 24 July 2008 .
Williams, P., & Wallace, D. (1989). Unit 731: Japan's secret biological warfare in World War II. New York: Free Press.
SASSOON, J. (2004). Biological Warfare. In K. L. Lerner & B. W. Lerner (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security (Vol. 1, pp. 115-117). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3403300086&v=2.1&u=40mwrlib&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=81bde5170dd4a5c1d8a95bcaebc62cc9
Broyles, Janell. Chemical and Biological Weapons in a Post-9/11 World. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2005. Print.
Pita, R. (2009). Toxin weapons: From World War I to jihadi terrorism. Toxin Reviews, 28(4), 219-237. doi:10.3109/1556950903246136
At a time in history when such unique situations are effecting our government, our nation, our foreign policy, and our world, it is important that we, as a nation do all that we can to aide in the dramatic diplomatic decisions that pertain to the welfare of this great nation. Throughout history, America has prevailed in numerous battles, hardships, depressions, and complicated policies that have in all conclusions made her powerful, yet vulnerable at the same time. With the growing effect that the potentiality of war on one or even two fronts has on the citizens of our country, it is detrimental that we continue to keep everyone involved in this shaping situation. One increasingly terrifying mechanism that terrorist cells, among others, have access to use against a state like us is biological warfare. The continuous education, preparation, and prevention of biological weapons are a key factor in defending The United States of America, and the world from the devastation that these weapons of mass destruction may cause.
...cy on biological warfare. During his visit to Fort Detrick, he announced that the United States would terminate all research on biological weapons. By the year 1972 the United States had completely destroyed all biological weapon stockpile. In return of this act the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention was held, As a result of 118 countries signed a agreeing not to develop, produce, or stockpile any form of biological weapon(Mayer p4). Unfortunately despite many laws passed over time, few countries have abided by them. Evidence of this came in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s there were reports that the Soviet Union was using biological weapons in Laos, Kampuchea, and Afghanistan (Mayer p 4).