It is clear Iraq has both the capability and the gumption to manufacture and use biological weapons. Iraq preemptively confessed to the world that it had a large pre-Gulf War program for importing such weapons as anthrax and botulism toxin. When the general unwisely returned to Iraq, and subsequently was executed, the confessions stopped. The capabilities of the biological weapons Saddam may possess are nothing short of terrifying. The manufacture of anthrax needs nothing more technological than a bathtub and a controlled temperature.
Botulism toxin causes botulism, which leads to blurred vision and muscular paralysis.
People exposed to it require a ventilator for breathing. If only a few pounds of botulism toxin hit a concentrated area, like an airport or stadium, the demand for ventilators would quickly outstrip the supply, and many would die. The biggest threat may be smallpox. Because the disease was virtually eliminated, few people under 25 have been vaccinated against it. The vaccinations of older adults have effectively worn off, and, according to a Minnesota public health official, there is so little vaccine left in U.S. stockpiles that less than 3 percent of the American population could be vaccinated.