Many states that possess biological or chemical weapons exist in unstable regions where the possibility of U.S. or coalition military involvement is greatest. Rather, the information came to light only from the belated revelations of an Iraqi defector, Hussein Kamal, who later paid with his life. Indeed, even while subject to the most intense and intrusive inspection regime in history, Iraq was able to upgrade its capability to produce the BW agent, anthrax, from a crude liquid slurry to simulant powders, milled into sizes readily respirable as a BW agent and to perform open air testing of the powder, once again by claiming that it was a bio-pesticide. Anthrax is a highly lethal biological agent, which occurs in nature as spores, particularly around animal stocks. Anthrax can be transmitted cutaneously, by gastro-intestinal infection, or by inhalation.
Respiratory infection is the most lethal form of the illness.
And the Iraq example demonstrates just how easy it is to hide or mask an active BW capability. The technicians, munitions handlers, veterinarians, range instrumentation people, and so on, who supported development of CW munitions, were at some point diverted to the BW program. In fact, the first BW agents were liquid slurries filled into CW bombs. Thus, if the CW Convention can establish a world-wide norm against the development, testing, and stockpiling of CW munitions, it will help to block one path for masking development of a BW program. Defense Against Proliferation Many countries, in addition to Iraq, either are seeking or possess biological and chemical weapons.