Perhaps nothing proves that dictum better than the recent decision by Defense Secretary William Cohen to begin inoculating U.S. troops for the biological weapon anthrax. Rather than simply emerge as a new and wise policy change by chance, it reflects a growing recognition by the Clinton administration that the biological weapons genie can t be stuffed back into the bottle and that, horrifically, the chance these weapons might be used against American soldiers is growing. Anthrax, a disease that occurs naturally in farm animals, has long been the focus of biological warfare research. During World War II, units of the Imperial Japanese Army created anthrax spores at laboratories in occupied China and may have used some in Manchuria. Today more than twelve countries can easily produce the disease in weapons form, which causes flulike symptoms, followed by severe chest congestion, and then usually death.
Anthrax can be fatal even in microscopic amounts.
The U.S. military has been preparing to deal with an anthrax attack for some time. If an enemy were to spray a cloud of anthrax on the battlefield, military chemical protective masks would provide good protection. The trouble is in detecting anthrax in the air. The fact that the spores may survive in the soil, in water, and on surfaces for many years creates additional problems, so the vaccines are a necessary step. An anthrax attack could occur in several battlefield situations.