Weapons of Weapons of Mass Mass

DestructionDestruction&&

BioterrorismBioterrorismRonald R. Blanck, Ronald R. Blanck,

D.O.D.O.

LTG, USA (Retired)LTG, USA (Retired)

“…any weapon or device that is intended, or has the capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury…through the release of…poisonous chemicals…disease…or radiation….”

“…any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket having propellant charge more than four ounces, missile having an explosive charge of more than one quarter ounce, mine or device similar to the above…poison gas…disease organism…radiation.”

WMD WMD ::

Significant casualties from terrorist use of:

Chemical Device Tabun (GA)Tabun (GA) Sarin (GB)Sarin (GB) Soman (GD)Soman (GD)

Biological Device Botulism ToxinBotulism Toxin AnthraxAnthrax PlaguePlague RicinRicin

Large Conventional Explosive Device

Nuclear Device

Terrorism Is…Terrorism Is…

““Warfare deliberately Warfare deliberately waged against civilians waged against civilians

with the purpose of with the purpose of destroying their will to destroying their will to support either leaders support either leaders

or policies that the or policies that the agents of such violence agents of such violence

find objectionable.”find objectionable.”Lessons of TerrorLessons of Terror - Caleb Cobb- Caleb Cobb

FRIGHTEN 10,000FRIGHTEN 10,000

-- Tom Clancy-- Tom Clancy

The Sum of All FearsThe Sum of All Fears

KILL ONEKILL ONE

Presidential Decision Presidential Decision Directive 39Directive 39

U.S. Policy on U.S. Policy on CounterterrorismCounterterrorism

June 21, 1995June 21, 1995 PRESIDENT

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILCoordination of Federal Agencies

FBI

FEMA

FEDERAL

RESPONSE PLAN

INCIDENT

CONTINGENCY PLANS

Crisis Management Consequence Management

HOMELAND DEFENSEGovernor Tom Ridge

DefinitionsDefinitions• Crisis ManagementCrisis Management

– Measures to anticipate, prevent, and/or Measures to anticipate, prevent, and/or resolve a terrorist threat or incidentresolve a terrorist threat or incident

• Primary Responsibility: Federal GovernmentPrimary Responsibility: Federal Government• Lead Federal Agency: FBILead Federal Agency: FBI

• Consequence ManagementConsequence Management– Measures to alleviate the damage, loss, Measures to alleviate the damage, loss,

hardship, or suffering caused by incidenthardship, or suffering caused by incident• Primary Responsibility: State/Local GovernmentPrimary Responsibility: State/Local Government• Lead Federal Agency: FEMA, coordinating Federal Lead Federal Agency: FEMA, coordinating Federal

Consequence Management support to the stateConsequence Management support to the state

ProgramsPrograms

• Domestic PreparednessDomestic Preparedness Interagency effort directed by CongressInteragency effort directed by Congress AKA: Nunn-Lugar-Domenici City TrainingAKA: Nunn-Lugar-Domenici City Training

• Consequence Management Program Consequence Management Program IntegrationIntegration DoD efforts directed by SECDEF (DRID #25)DoD efforts directed by SECDEF (DRID #25) Improve DoD Support for Response to WMD Improve DoD Support for Response to WMD

attacksattacks Integrate National Guard and Reserve Integrate National Guard and Reserve

ComponentsComponents

Purpose of Nunn-Lugar-Purpose of Nunn-Lugar-DomeniciDomenici

• To enhance the capability of the Federal To enhance the capability of the Federal Government to prevent and respond to Government to prevent and respond to terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destructiondestruction

• To provide enhanced support to improve the To provide enhanced support to improve the capabilities of state and local emergency capabilities of state and local emergency response agencies to prevent and respond to response agencies to prevent and respond to such incidents such incidents at both the national and local levelsat both the national and local levels

Domestic Emergency Domestic Emergency ContinuumContinuum

Most Likely Most Likely Least LikelyLeast Likely

GreatestGreatest

LeastLeast

ProbabilityProbability

-- Aircraft Accident

HAZMAT --

MAJOR FLOODIN

G

IED --

STATE & LOCAL STATE & LOCAL FEDERALFEDERAL

HURRICANE

-- IND

WMDWMD

ICD --IBD --

Civil Demo --

Severe T-Storm --

Civil Disturbance --

ImpactImpact

Tiered Disaster/Emergency Tiered Disaster/Emergency ResponseResponse

Local ResponseIncident Commander

Federal Response

State Response

• Full response requires local, state, and federal assets• State response includes National Guard• Military support requires Total Force involvement

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Radiological Threat

(Plutonium)

Nuclear Explosion Threat

(Uranium)

Biological Agent Threat

(Anthrax)

Chemical Nerve Agent

Threat (GB)

Chemical Nerve Agent

Threat (VX) (Persistent)

Summary: Terrorists place a radiation Dispersal Device which distributes plutonium over a populated area.

Summary: An improvised nuclear device (1.5KT) is exploded at midday in the vicinity of a state capitol building.

Summary: 100 grams of anthrax released into the air distribution system at a major airport.

Summary: 10 Gallons of Sarin is released on a busy morning in trash canisters at 5 Subway stations in a major city.

Summary: M23 Land mines (.8lb) placed in suitcases at major airport and exploded at midday

Ca

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Federal WMD Response Federal WMD Response AssessmentAssessment

It’s not IF, It’s WHEN and WHERE?

Biological WarfareBiological Warfare

The intentional use of The intentional use of microorganisms or toxins microorganisms or toxins

derived from living derived from living organisms to produce death organisms to produce death

or disease in humans, or disease in humans, animals, or plantsanimals, or plants

Biological WarfareBiological WarfareHistoryHistory

• 14th Century: plague at Kaffa14th Century: plague at Kaffa• 18th Century: smallpox blankets18th Century: smallpox blankets• 1943: USA program established1943: USA program established• 1953: Defensive program established1953: Defensive program established• 1969: Offensive program disestablished1969: Offensive program disestablished• 1979: Sverdlovsk Anthrax incident1979: Sverdlovsk Anthrax incident• SE Asia: Yellow RainSE Asia: Yellow Rain• London, Virginia: RicinLondon, Virginia: Ricin

BW AgreementsBW Agreements

• 1925 Geneva Protocol1925 Geneva Protocol• 1969 Nixon renounces BW1969 Nixon renounces BW• 1972 Biological Weapons 1972 Biological Weapons

ConventionConvention• 1975 Geneva Conventions Ratified1975 Geneva Conventions Ratified

Biological Weapons Biological Weapons PolicyPolicy

• No use under any circumstanceNo use under any circumstance• Research limited to defensive measuresResearch limited to defensive measures• We possess NO weaponized biologicalsWe possess NO weaponized biologicals• Previous weapons stocks destroyedPrevious weapons stocks destroyed• Destruction supervised:Destruction supervised:

– USDAUSDA– Dept of HEWDept of HEW– DNR of AR, CO, MDDNR of AR, CO, MD

Destroyed U.S. Destroyed U.S. Biological Warfare Biological Warfare

AgentsAgents• LethalLethal

– B. anthracisB. anthracis– Botulinum toxinsBotulinum toxins– F. tularensisF. tularensis

• AnticropAnticrop– wheat stem rustwheat stem rust– rye stem rustrye stem rust– rice blastrice blast

• IncapacitatingIncapacitating– Brucella suisBrucella suis– VEE virusVEE virus– SEBSEB– Q fever agentQ fever agent

The Sverdlovsk IncidentThe Sverdlovsk Incident

• April-May 1979April-May 1979– 66 Anthrax fatalities66 Anthrax fatalities

• 19881988– Soviets present Soviets present

data:data:• 96 cases96 cases• 79 gastrointestinal79 gastrointestinal

• May 1992May 1992– Yeltsin admits Yeltsin admits

“military “military developments”developments”

Soviet BW PrioritiesSoviet BW Priorities“Agents Likely to be Used”“Agents Likely to be Used”

• SmallpoxSmallpox• PlaguePlague• AnthraxAnthrax• BotulismBotulism• VEEVEE• TularemiaTularemia• Q FeverQ Fever• MarburgMarburg• InfluenzaInfluenza• MelioidosisMelioidosis• TyphusTyphus

““There were more There were more INSTITUTES working on INSTITUTES working on

Plague in the USSR Plague in the USSR than PERSONNEL than PERSONNEL

working on Plague in working on Plague in the USA”the USA”

-- Dr Ken Alibek-- Dr Ken Alibek

Advantages of BW:Advantages of BW:Are Biologicals the Ultimate Are Biologicals the Ultimate

Weapon?Weapon?• agents easy to procureagents easy to procure• inexpensive to produceinexpensive to produce• can disseminate at great distancecan disseminate at great distance• agent clouds invisibleagent clouds invisible• detection quite difficultdetection quite difficult• first sign is illnessfirst sign is illness• overwhelms medical capabilitiesoverwhelms medical capabilities• simple threat creates panicsimple threat creates panic• perpetrators escape before effectsperpetrators escape before effects• ideal terrorist weaponideal terrorist weapon

Acquisition of Etiologic Acquisition of Etiologic AgentsAgents

• Multiple Culture CollectionsMultiple Culture Collections• UniversitiesUniversities• Commercial Supply HousesCommercial Supply Houses• Foreign LaboratoriesForeign Laboratories• Field Samples or Clinical Field Samples or Clinical

SpecimensSpecimens

Hypothetical Hypothetical DisseminationDissemination

50 kg agent, 2 km front, upwind of city of 50 kg agent, 2 km front, upwind of city of 500,000500,000

Agent Reach KIA WIARVF 1 400 35000TBE 1 9500 35000Typhus 5 19000 85000Brucella 10 500 100000Q fever >20 150 125000Tularemia >20 30000 125000Anthrax >>20 95000 125000

Hazardous Biologic Hazardous Biologic MaterialMaterial

• LettersLetters

• PackagesPackages

• CulturesCultures

• Person – to - Person – to - PersonPerson

ResponseResponse

•• Not Typical First Not Typical First RespondersResponders

•• BIO First RespondersBIO First Responders - Physician’s Office- Physician’s Office - ER- ER - Clinics- Clinics

•• All Organizations InvolvedAll Organizations Involved

IssuesIssues

• Rapid DetectionRapid Detection

• Public HealthPublic Health

• Hospital CapacityHospital Capacity

• StockpilingStockpiling

• Vaccine ProductionVaccine Production

Health Providers’ Health Providers’ ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

AwarenessAwareness Presumptive DiagnosisPresumptive Diagnosis ReportingReporting EpidemiologyEpidemiology Response Response

– Triage Triage – ProphylaxisProphylaxis– Immunizations Immunizations – TreatmentTreatment

Risk CommunicationsRisk Communications

19 April 1995, Oklahoma City19 April 1995, Oklahoma City

26 February 1993, New York26 February 1993, New York

20 March 1995, Tokyo20 March 1995, Tokyo

It’s not a question It’s not a question of if...of if...

11 September 2001, New York11 September 2001, New York

It’s not even a question of It’s not even a question of when…when…

It’s a question of when It’s a question of when next…next…