Preventing Bioterrorism Essay -- Biodefense, Biological Attack

September 11, 2001, signifies the most pivotal moment in United States history. It marks a great paradigm shift in the attitude of United States towards terrorism. Prior to September 11, policies to protect against terrorism were perforated with in fighting between government agencies, a lack of centralized intelligence sharing, and general surprise. This event marks the beginning of the largest growth in the United States intelligence community. The United States increased security all around the board, opened up and centralized its agencies, and began to prepare for new kinds of terrorist attacks. The country never experienced a bio-terrorist attack, and yet the threat is very real. From the Cold War, the United States fully understood the harm biological weapons can inflict. The attacks of September 11 demonstrate the preparation against domestic terrorist attacks and the damage terrorist can cause. As the United States continue to increase its security against terrorism, it is imperative it understands and prepares for a potential bio-terrorist attack. There are many events throughout which demonstrate the potential catastrophe a calculated bio-terrorist attack can create. The Black Death of the 14th century illustrates how quickly and how deadly a disease can spread. The plague originated in China and arrived via trade routes to Europe by the mid-14th century. By the end of the 14th century, the disease killed more than half the world’s population. The world witnessed its first case of biological warfare during the French and Indian Wars. British commander of the North America forces, Sir Jeffrey Amherst, ordered his troops to donate to Native Americans blankets infested with smallpox. As result, Native Ame... ...emonstrated the silent nature of such attacks and the damages they can exact on large populations. The plagues of the 14th century, the use of smallpox against the Indians, and the intentional Salmonella poisoning in the 1980’s exemplify this fact. The fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s along with other political events, resulted in vast amounts of bio-agents disappearing and falling into the wrong hands. Opponents claim it is too complex and requires too many resources to carry out large scale attacks; however, with biological weapons, a few infected people can spread the disease to thousands. The modern tactics of terrorism are unconventional, unexpected, and able to kill thousands. As terrorists become more organized and funded, it is essential that the United States increase its capabilities at preventing and defending against bio-terrorist attacks.