2,302 bytes added
, 01:59, June 21, 2007
Bioterrorism involves the use of biological weapons for the purpose of committing terrorism. The release of an infectious agent such as [[anthrax]], [[smallpox]], or [[ebola]] would have devastating health effects on those affected, and overwhelm the ability of local medical services to treat the infected resulting a potentially large loss of life.
==Historical bioterrorism==
Bioterrorism has historical roots. For example, it was not uncommon in medieval warfare to catapult diseased animals into a sieged city, or infect a city's water supply with diseased animals or bodies. In 1763, during the [[French and Indian War]] a [[British]] General Lord Jeffrey Amherst supplied blankets from smallpox patients to a local Indian tribe for the purpose of reducing their numbers. <ref>http://academic.udayton.edu/health/syllabi/Bioterrorism/00intro02.htm</ref>
==Modern biowarfare and bioterrorism==
Biowarfare and bioterrorism has become even more deadly with the development of [[genetic engineering]] which allows terrorists to design germs and viruses to be resistant to [[antibiotic|antibiotics]] and to take on new and deadlier traits.
Prior to the signing of the ban on Biological and Chemical Weapons signed by [[Richard Nixon]], the USAMRIID facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland was a testing and development center for biological weapons. <ref>http://www.detrick.army.mil/cutting_edge/index.cfm?chapter=chapter12</ref> However, this was in response a pursuit of biological weapons by the [[USSR]]. Since 1974, USAMRIID has become one of the world's leading infectious disease research facilities.
The Soviet Union developed a number biological weapons including Smallpox and Anthrax.<ref>http://cryptome.org/smallpox-wmd.htm</ref>
Iraq is known to have had biological weapons capability prior to the [[Iraq War]]. [[Saddam Hussein]] controlled significant quantities of biological weapons which have yet to be found. Saddam may have provided some biological weapons capability to [[Al Qaeda]].
The [[Muslim]] [[terrorists]] who attacked us on [[9/11]] were also responsible for the Anthrax attacks on the United states, possibly through another terrorist cell which has yet to be found. <ref>http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Florida.html</ref>
==References==
<references/>