NCJ Number
191279
Journal
Journal of American Medical Association Volume: 278 Issue: 5 Dated: August 6, 1997 Pages: 418-424
Date Published
August 1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This document focuses on the biological warfare capability in Iraq.
Abstract
Iraq developed anthrax, botulinum toxin, and aflatoxin for biological warfare between 1985 and 1991. Anthrax cells and spores dispersed in aerosol can inflict heavy casualties on unprotected populations, and if treatment with appropriate antibiotics is not begun soon after exposure, a morbidity rate of 65 percent to 80 percent will result. Botulinum toxin is the most toxic chemical known to science. While most cases of botulinum intoxication are caused by ingested contaminated food, aerosolized toxin is deadly. Aflatoxin, though a long-term carcinogenic, has no known property useful for biological warfare. Iraqi scientists may have discovered a previously unknown property useful for biological warfare applications. Two hundred bombs and 25 ballistic missiles laden with biological agents were deployed by the time Operation Desert Storm occurred. However, Iraq’s biological warfare arsenal probably would have been militarily ineffective because it was small; payload dispersal mechanisms were inefficient; and coalition forces had overwhelming air superiority and had crippled Iraq’s command and control capability. Despite this the Iraqi biological warfare threat has not been extinguished. Saddam Hussein’s power and desire to acquire weapons of mass destruction continues. The international community must be firm in its enforcement of United Nations resolutions designed to deter Iraq from reacquiring biological warfare capability. They must take steps to develop a multidisciplinary approach to limiting future development of weapons of mass destruction. A response that could be accomplished easily and quickly would be to establish one facility where all the compliance regimes would be headquartered. 53 references