Journal Article

Pathogens as Weapons: The International Security Implications of Biological Warfare

Koblentz, Gregory

2003

Overview

Biological weapons have become one of the key security issues of the twenty-first century. Three factors that first emerged in the 1990s have contributed to this phenomenon. First, revelations regarding the size, scope, and sophistication of the Soviet and Iraqi biological warfare programs focused renewed attention on the proliferation of these weapons. Second, the catastrophic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax letters sent to media outlets and Senate offices in the United States during the following month, demonstrated the desire of terrorists to cause massive casualties and heightened concern over their ability to employ biological weapons. Third, significant advances in the life sciences have increased concerns about how the biotechnology revolution could be exploited to develop new or improved biological weapons. These trends suggest that there is a greater need than ever to answer several fundamental questions about biological warfare: What is the nature of the threat? What are the potential strategic consequences of the proliferation of biological weapons? How effective will traditional security strategies such as deterrence and arms control be in containing this threat? How do answers to these questions inform policies to reduce the danger of biological weapons?

• Publisher: MIT Press,The MIT Press,MIT Press Journals, The
• Subject: 21st century / Arms control / Arms limitation / Biological & chemical weapons / Biological warfare / Biological Weapons / Bioterrorism / Civil-military relations / Defenses / Deterrence (strategy) / Intelligence services / International relations / International security / Military defense / National security / Nuclear terrorism / Politics / Responding to the Bioweapons Threat / Security / Strategic planning / Terrorism / Threat / Toxins / War / Weapons