Biological Attack Essay -- essays research papers

biological AttackIn dungeon Terrors by Michael T. Osterholm and John Schwartz, the threat of biological attack on the United States is introduced to the public. utilize Living Terrors and a number of sources that atomic number 18 extremely knowledgeable on the question of preparedness of the United States to a biological attack, I allow for argue that the United States is in no way prepared to hide a biological attack on its soil.Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are all considered weapons of mass destruction. However, unlike chemical or nuclear weapons, biological weapons combine maximum destructiveness and easy availability. According to Richard Betts, nuclear arms gain great killing capacity but are hard to birth chemical weapons are easy to get but lack such killing capacity biological agents have both qualities (9). In 1993, a study by the Office of Technology Assessment concluded that a single airplane delivering 100 kilograms of anthrax spores by aerosol on a clear, calm night over Washington D.C., could kill up to 1 to 3 million people in a tierce hundred square mile area surrounding Washington D.C. (Osterholm and Schwartz 9). Biological weapons are a dangerous threat to the United States. According to Eric Noji, brother director of bioterrorism preparedness for the Center for Disease Control, the threat of chemical and biological intentional releases is a clear and present danger (Fialka et al B1). However, there is evidence that the United States is not taking the threat of a biological attack seriously. The investigating branch of Congress named the General bill Office or GAO, charged that the government has failed to properly manage the medical stockpiles developed to protect the public from the scourge of potentially devastating biological weapons (Cohen M2). Lack of Government funding against a biological attack is overly evidence that the United States is not taking the threat of bioterrorism seriously. Mohammad N. Akhter, wh o is the administrator director of the American Public Health Association, was quoted as saying that he barely had the budget to deal adequately with a severe eructation of the flu, let alone contain a smallpox epidemic (A23). In the fiscal year of 2000The Department of Health and Human Services reliable $238 million out of a ... ... C. Byrd has claimed that Mr. Thompsons comments on 60 proceeding were not credible --- especially in light of Thompsons pass for nearly $1 billion in emergency anti-terrorism projects (Connolly A29). Osterholm, Michael T, Ph.D., M.P.H., and John Schwartz. LivingTerrors. New York Delacorte Press, 2000.Betts, Richard K. Biological Weapons Are a Serious Threat. Biological and chemical substance Weapons. Ed. David M. Haugen. San Diego Greenhaven Press, 1998. 7.Cohen, Stephen L. The Nation/Medicine U.S. a sitting Duck forBioterrorism. Los Angeles Times 27 February 2000 M2.Fialka, John, Marilyn Chase, Neil King and Ron Winslow. Are We Prepared for the U nthinkable? --- Officials Fear U.S. Ill-EquippedTo struggle With Biological Or Chemical Terrorism. Wall Street Journal 18 September 2001 B1.Akhter, Mohammad. Bioterrorism How Unready We Are. Washington Post 10 October A23.Connolly, Ceci. Senators Criticize HHS foreland On Readiness Bio-Terrorism Comments Will Not Really help oneself. Washington Post4 October 2001 A29.