Bioterorrism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bioterorrism - Research Paper Example It is important to point out that the use of biological warfare comes with disastrous results, just like other weapons of mass of destruction. Despite nations devising tactical approaches, meant to stop the threat posed by biological weapons, the simple nature in manufacturing the weapons puts nations such as the United States at a risk of an imminent attack from terrorists. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), â€Å"A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants.† Based on the foregoing, it is evident that these are natural agents of causing diseases. Nevertheless, terrorists change these agents by increasing their ability to cause diseases, increasing their capability to resist drugs, or even escalating their capacity to spread widely in the environment, which is often with catastrophic effects. The CDC further noted the possibility of terrorists to use biological agents since their detection is not simple, and the biological agents have the ability of concealing illness for several hours or even days, which enhances their spread to other people and to the environment. However, it is important to point out that there is a tendency to collocate biological agents with nuclear weapons and lethal chemical weapons as potential weapons of mass destruction. However, there are discernible differences between these other weapons and bioweapons. In this regard, pathogens are living things, which is not the case with the other weapons. In effect, biological weapons are able to reproduce and independently engage in adaptive behavior, which is not the case with the other weapons (Steinbruner 87). Therefore, these contrasting characteristics of biological weapons enhance the potency of bioweapons in comparison to the other weapons. Vogel noted, â€Å"A commonly held belief is that the technology behind biological weapons is re latively simple and therefore, one could argue, less dependent on tacit knowledge than nuclear weapons† (660). In this case, this emphasizes the ease with which terrorists can acquire these weapons and even manufacture them easily by acquiring the essential ingredients that are readily available. It is common knowledge that experts and the media have made the widespread belief that the requirements for biological weapons are chicken soup, a bathtub, and seed culture (Vogel 660). This effectively puts emphasis on the ease of making biological weapons. To support this argument, Steinbruner noted, â€Å"A small home-brewery is all that it would be required to a potent threat of major proportions† (86). On the other hand, there is an argument that the inherent dual-usage of biotechnology renders previous tacit knowledge in bioweapons explicit (Vogel 660). In effect, this poses challenges to policymakers regarding protecting civilians against attacks that result from the use of the biological weapons. In support of this line of thought on the ease of manufacturing biological weapons, Steinbruner noted, â€Å"As potential instruments of destruction, biological agents are inexpensive, readily available, and usually dangerous† (85). In this case, various pathogens affect human beings with some of these pathogens having the potential of causing massive destruction. Indeed, Streinbruner pointed that some biological agents