Thread: Biological weapons

In the past biological weapons have been very effective during times of war. Greeks often tainted drinking water by dumping animal corpses into water wells in times as early as 350 BC. It was soon noted that sickness could not only be transmitted through water supplies, but it could also be transmitted among people. During medieval times corpses were often catapulted into cities. Some corpses were infested with diseases, like the black plague, which would then infect the entire population within the city. The constituents would usually flee the city in terror of the sickness surrounding them. When they would flee, they would also be carrying the sickness to other cities. The catapult method was especially useful when the corpses were carrying the bubonic plague. Although the black plague originated and proliferated from infected rats fleeing to cities, as a result of a global temperature drop, this method of biological warfare contributed to the proliferation of the plague. However, the use of biological weapons has not been limited to just wartime scenarios.

Biological weapons have also been used in attempts of genocide. It is well known that different ethnicities have varying traits. Every ethnicity has strengths and immunities against certain illnesses, but all ethnicities also have weaknesses towards other illnesses. In 1763, a case of smallpox had originated in Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. Later hospital blankets containing the smallpox virus were distributed among the Indian population. The intention was to spread the virus among the Indian population and eliminate it. Throughout the twentieth century many projects were commenced in the hope of creating a weapon that would discriminate different traits among ethnicities. The idea was to build a weapon that would only attack the enemy. The sophistication of biological weapons has not reached a level where such a goal can be accomplished. However, biological weapons have proved to be effective but the reason they are not used is because the Geneva Protocol has a ban of "bacteriological" weapons. Although the Geneva Protocol called for a ban on "bacteriological" weapons in the use of war, it did not ban research.

Multiple countries pursued biological weapons research throughout the twentieth century, such as Iraq, Russia, Britain and the United States. The United States began a biological weapons research program in 1941 with a main interest in anthrax, with the intent of developing a weapon with high efficiency. After the resolution of World War II the Unites States continued its research but at a reduced level. Around 300 biological agents were heavily researched. Testing had commenced, including open-air releases involving cities. The tests had shown that biological weapons were very efficient. In 1968, the purpose of research had been accomplished and President Nixon chose to eliminate all stockpiles. In 1973 the Soviet Union went beyond the research of biological weapons. Their concentration was on smallpox, anthrax, plague, and the Marburg virus (a hemorrhagic fever virus). The soviets not only prepared these biological agents for weaponized use, but they also created ballistic missiles and warheads with the ability carry the payload of the biological agents. The soviet program was terminated around 1990, releasing the 25,000 personnel to underpaid labor. It is very possible that many scientists from the Russian program moved to other locations around the world, sharing their knowledge to create unknown biological weapons. This is a terrifying thought as it has become apparent that the market for such weaponry is at a higher demand than ever. This could be because the very use of biological weapons has evolved along with its technology. It has become more and more common that biological weapons are not being used in the conventional way that they were once utilized.

In the past biological weapons had been developed and used with the idea of it being used in war time. However, biological weapons seem to be taking a new approach. Many terrorist groups have expressed a great amount of interest in illicit weapons, like biological weapons. A weapon that can cause fear and panic with such ease is why they are being targeted by terrorist groups. With the constantly evolving technical world, biological weapons could become more dangerous and more available to these groups. New technology and biological weapons have begun to create an age where at any moment you could fall victim to an attack without knowing it. This is an ideal scenario for a terrorist group. A scenario that our technology has created. Our advances are their advances. There is a new era of terrorism emerging, the era of bio-terrorism.

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New technology and biological weapons have begun to create an age where at any moment you could fall victim to an attack without knowing it. This is an ideal scenario for a terrorist group. A scenario that our technology has created. Our advances are their advances. There is a new era of terrorism emerging, the era of bio-terrorism.[/b]

That not only sounds scary it scares the hell outta me. I studied history at school and we saw pictures and details of bio-weapons like agent orange which was used in Vietnam

I found this intresting which I found on the web:

Wanda: Isn&#39;t it interesting where you folks come up with this nonsense? Let us disabuse you of your misinformation, which you characterize as "Crap", point-by-point;

1). Isn&#39;t it true that the unit that used Agent Orange to defoliate jungles drank a cup of it during training? NO. In speaking with several dozen of the men who served in Ranch Hand, none ever told of this and, in fact when asked directly about drinking the herbicide, stated emphatically that they did not do so nor where they required to do so. This story allegedly comes from a professor who, to demonstrate the "safety" of the herbicide, did so in front of a class to make a point. Not sure what the point was, but that&#39;s the story.

2). That they also got it all over them. Again, from personal interviews with Ranch Hand personnel, they did occasionally get the herbicide on their uniforms and there were some accidents where spray handlers were drenched in chemical; but, that was the rarity - not the norm.

3). That the Vietnam Veterans have a cancer rate the same as the national average. Overall, the cancer rate is slightly above the national norm for men and women in this age category. HOWEVER, the rates for cancers like non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma and reproductive cancers are as much as 8-10 time higher than the national norm.

4). That the Dioxin that was dropped was heavily diluted. NO, the herbicide used in Vietnam was 200-300 times more potent than required. Dilution occurred only when the herbicide was mixed (50-50) with Diesel fuel, which created yet another deadly carcinogen. There were approximately 16 pounds of a combination of 2,4,5,T and 2,4,D in each 55-gallon drums used in Vietnam.

5). Degraded in 2-3 days. Absolute BS! There are areas in Vietnam today (as well as right here in the US) where areas upon which the herbicide was applied that show readings 500 times what the US government and the World Health Organization term as safe to human habitation.

6). Was not used as a tactical weapon and in fact could not be used as one.
FALSE - was designed as a tactical weapon and used as such over more than 2 million hectares of land in Vietnam.

7). The Jungle areas that were sprayed quickly grew back.
FALSE – re-growth did not take place for 2-3 decades and large swaths of land in Vietnam are still barren.

8). And that the Communists claim that "Agent Orange" has done this and that even though they won&#39;t allow outside people to look openly at their claims.
AGAIN -FALSE: The Hatfield Group, an internationally respected and renowned research group from Vancouver, BC, Canada has been doing studies in Vietnam for over 9 years and the governments of Vietnam and the US signed an MOU in March 2002 to undertake JOINT studies throughout south Vietnam, in all the major population areas where the herbicide was used during the war.

9). But the point is their claims are nonsense and junk science. This is just like that Gulf War syndrome crap. The claims of Vietnam veterans and those of Gulf War veterans are and have been documented by highly-respected researchers and those studies are the basis for changes in the law that have and will continue to make a difference in the quality of life for Vietnam and Gulf War veterans, as well as their families. VVA has been in the forefront of the fight to learn all we can about the use of herbicides in Vietnam and elsewhere in the world since 1978.

Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight. You are obviously misinformed or have some other "axe to grind".
Paul L. Sutton, Chair
VVA National Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee
US Marine Corps, 1961-1969
Vietnam Service, 1964-1965 & 1967-1968


We also got to no another weapon which was napalm :

"Napalm" is actually now a general term for jellied gasoline. There are many prescriptions for how to jelly the gasoline, and hence the resulting products can differ dramatically. In particular, napalm made poorly or with incomplete mixing can end up being very similar to gasoline, with its attendant hazards.

Gasoline, being a volatile, easily ignited compound with a high energy density, was immediately used as a weapon in war. In World War I, both Germany and the Allies used it in flame throwers, but it burned itself too quickly to be very effective at igniting the target of the flame throwers. As you might imagine, intensive research to slow down the burning was funded by the U.S. government, and in 1942 Harvard University scientists and the U.S. army chemical warfare service found a way to jelly gasoline that worked quite well.

So scary...We saw pictures of people who was was running from napalm and it blew up in the mid air and just simplly burnt them to death!Today there are still the shawdows of the people who died! Its sick! and just to think if they got hold of stuff like this..........