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COULD IT HAPPEN HERE? Is the U.S. prepared for a chemical or biological weapons attack? February 11, 1998 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:
Is disarmament better than expensive defenses? How much information is being disseminated via the Internet? What are the first symptoms of contact with a biological agent? How will this threat affect the design of cities and homes?
NewsHour Backgrounders
April 22, 1997
President Clinton wants the Senate to ratify the Chemicals Weapons Treaty, a document that that would ban some of the world's most dreaded killing agents.
November 11, 1996
Were U.S. soldiers exposed to chemical weapons during the Gulf War?
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of military.
Kelvin Baker of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates asks: If the identified biological or chemical weapons sights in Iraq get bombed ....will they send a deadly toxic biological and chemical cloud into the atmosphere?
Larry Johnson responds:
Abu Dhabi is safe, regardless, but people in the immediate area of a weapons site could be adversely affected. It depends on several factors--the type of bomb (a high explosive or an incendiary), the size of the device, the amount of agent or chemicals at the site, the accuracy of the hit. Generally speaking a chemical agent like sarin could pose a danger in the immediate area but mother nature's magic--e.g., wind, rain, temperature topography--will disperse the cloud. Most biological agents don't fare well outside. Anthrax is an exception, it can remain in soil and contaminate areas for a long period. God help any Iraqis in the vicinity of such storage sites, they could find themselves the victims of whatever is there. Fortunately, chemical and biological agents do not begin to approach the massive destruction and radioactive contamination that can be achieved by a nuclear device. In any event, none of these things are good for human beings and other living creatures.
Dr. Kathleen Bailey responds:
Kelvin, it is possible that a strike against facilities where CBW are made or stored could release these deadly agents into the air. While this would be exceedingly dangerous, there is a mitigating factor to keep in mind. The U.S. military would make every attempt to assure that the collateral damage resulting from such an attack would be minimized. For example, it might be possible to use incendiary devices that would incinerate the agents before they spread. Also, the military has battlefield detectors that, although they are relatively slow, can ascertain that an agent has been released. The cloud of agent can then be tracked using meteorological data, which would enable citizens downwind to be warned and/or evacuated.
I do not know whether your question reflects concern that agents released into the air in Iraq are likely to make their way to Abu Dhabi. If this is part of your question, the answer is no. CB agents are affected by wind and weather. Sunlight, for example, kills most biological agents. Over a number hours or within a few days, depending on the type of agent, it would either be destroyed, would settle, or would dissipate.
A question that people in the UAE and other regional states may ask is: Is it better to hit these weapons and destroy them while they are in Iraq, or to leave them where Saddam Hussein could use them against his neighbors in the future?
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