FEARS MOUNT OVER NEW BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
PA 17.08.97 14:26
Copyright 1997 PA News. Copying, storing, redistribution,
retransmission, publication, transfer or commerical exploitation
of this information is expressly forbidden.
By Charles Miller, Defence Correspondent, PA News
Military experts are warning of a terrifying new generation of
biological weapons resistant to treatment and designed to attack
specific ethnic groups.
The Pentagon has produced an internal report, which warns that
biological agents could be genetically-engineered to produce new
lethal weapons.
These engineered agents would be able to resist detection,
identification and treatment.
Professor Malcolm Dando, of Bradford University's Department of
Peace Studies, explained there was a growing scientific
capability to interfere with genetics.
"The human species is very diverse with differences in
genetics and blood groups, for example," he said.
"It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that if you
put that together with what we are beginning to develop in gene
therapy, you could end up with an ethnic weapon.
"Now, that weapon would affect just certain groups of the
human population, rather than everyone."
There is no definite confirmation that such fearsome weapons have
yet been developed.
However, it is believed that Iraq considered using camel pox
during the Gulf War on Allied troops without the natural
immunities in the blood of locals.
There are also fears that Russia is continuing to improve its
genetic engineering techniques.
Prof Dando said ethnic weapons were outlawed under the terms of
the Biological Warfare Convention and warned that a tough
verification regime was vital to ensure countries adhered to
terms of the convention.