The Next Worst Thing�

Is the federal government's expansion of biodefense research paving the way for the bioweapons of the future?


It has been called a modern-day Manhattan Project�a spending spree so vast and rapid that it might change the face of biological science. In the wake of 9/11, the U.S. government is funding a massive new biodefense research effort, redirecting up to $10 billion toward projects related to biological weapons such as anthrax. The Pentagon's budget for chemical and biological defense has doubled; high-security nuclear-weapons labs have begun conducting genetic research on dangerous pathogens; universities are receiving government funding to build high-tech labs equipped to handle deadly infectious organisms; and Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the home of America's secret bioweapons program, is about to break ground on two new high-tech biodefense centers.
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To many observers, the statement indicated that the United States is moving toward a pre-emptive approach, attempting to beat terrorists to the punch by being the first to produce novel pathogens. "What they seem to be saying to me is that we are actually in a defensive/offensive arms race," says Malcolm Dando, a British bioweapons expert at Bradford University. "If the U.S. goes down these roads, it indicates routes that people can follow."

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What do you think�

HIV is supposedly a military Bio-weapon gone wrong. Although it's true it originally came from animal-human contact, perhaps the government found a way to reproduce this perfect virus in a lab. Why is HIV a perfect killer?
1 It can lie dormant (and undetectable?) for many years.
2 The virus itself isn't what kills you, it's eventual outcome, AIDS, is what kills you. AIDS makes you overly-susceptible to dying form getting a simple, normally curable virus like a cold or a flu.

[Edited on 5/5/04 by xenophanes85]

Why would any government create a virus which can only be spread through intimate contact? If HIV really is a black project gone awry, then some designers need to be fired immediately!

Biowarfare is indisputably the next arena of conflict, and like any new arena, it's initially terrifying. However, it's worth remembering that no weapon is perfect, and for every deadly new virus that's created, there will be a potent new antiviral agent. Such is the march of progress.

interesting post. To be honest, i thought that this was already going on. The US government has been doing research into biowarfare since the Cold war, its one of the DoD most important projects

Originally posted by xenophanes85
HIV is supposedly a military Bio-weapon gone wrong. [Edited on 5/5/04 by xenophanes85]

I am not surprised to see the post, and it is certainly disconcerting. We already have so many other ways to kill one another....

Xenophanes....do you happen to have anything to substantiate your post? I am most interested to dig deeper into this.

I agree with Infinite.

In the last few years, the US has gone down the same path it went down over 50 years ago.

I'm sorry I can't post the link, but if you go to memoryhole.org and look at past stories, you will find a list of military scientific projects that are similar to projects being carried out today.
The same sort of "crash programme" urgency in US BW research was then caused by the Korean war, today it's "war on terror".
Don't forget that Nixons ban on offensive BW research was not an altruistic act, but a political decision.
A quick signature with a pen and the US is back on the offensive road.
Already BW aerosol experiments are being held in US public areas.
The same excuses as used 50 years ago are again being used to defend the experiments.

www.defenselink.mil...

Just how many times does the Pentagon need to be tested for BW liability?

zero lift

BAD!
AGAIN HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!

I thought the US was supposed to be against "WMD." yeah right...

They are probably designing virusses that will attack on the genetic level, killing discriminatly.

I also believe AIDS was a man-made virus.

I read somewhere that AID's is/was a government project 'created' to essentially destroy 3rd world or developing nations if your politically correct, it was a good read ill have a look about on the web see if i can find anything

Gulf War Syndrome - HIV BioWeapon?
www.goharrison.com...

IS HIV A MAN-MADE VIRUS DESIGNED TO KILL BLACKS AND GAYS?
www.konformist.com...

The Origin of AIDS: Man-Made Holocaust?
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com...

THE OCTOPUS
www.deepblacklies.co.uk...

HIV-AIDS: Made in the USA?
www.rumormillnews.com...

AIDS Vaccines or Slow Bioweapons?*
www.i-sis.org.uk...

Many, many more. Search for "US Government HIV AIDS Bio-Weapon" in Google.

Originally posted by xenophanes85
Gulf War Syndrome - HIV BioWeapon?
www.goharrison.com...

IS HIV A MAN-MADE VIRUS DESIGNED TO KILL BLACKS AND GAYS?
www.konformist.com...

The Origin of AIDS: Man-Made Holocaust?
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com...

THE OCTOPUS
www.deepblacklies.co.uk...

HIV-AIDS: Made in the USA?
www.rumormillnews.com...

AIDS Vaccines or Slow Bioweapons?*
www.i-sis.org.uk...

Many, many more. Search for "US Government HIV AIDS Bio-Weapon" in Google.

Thats the one i was on about, the one about it being genetically desgned to kill blacks and gays, Homophobic Racist disease... whatever next!!!!!

If I remember correctly, there's a mention of AIDS research centre in a US defence base, right here on ATS. Its quite a long read, and I cant remember exactly where in the article it is, but its worth a look if you havent already checked it out.

Originally posted by Paul
If I remember correctly, there's a mention of AIDS research centre in a US defence base, right here on ATS. Its quite a long read, and I cant remember exactly where in the article it is, but its worth a look if you havent already checked it out.

I think ive read that, but like the above theres loads of info on it around the web, like someone once said to me "googles your best friend" lol

This just in, hot off the press:

Military scientists decode gene sequence of a favourite Biological Warfare agent, Tulameria.

www.news-medical.net...

Note who funded this research.

zero lift

Originally posted by zero lift
This just in, hot off the press:

Military scientists decode gene sequence of a favourite Biological Warfare agent, Tulameria.

www.news-medical.net...

Note who funded this research.

zero lift

I just briefly scanned through the link above, and my first question would be why the US Department of Energy would be involved in biological pathogen research?

Is that an area they are normally involved in? I thought (just by the name) they would be more focused on alternative fuel sources and such....you know, ENERGY research.

Originally posted by StrangeLands
Why would any government create a virus which can only be spread through intimate contact? If HIV really is a black project gone awry, then some designers need to be fired immediately!

I actually think that a virus spread by sexual contact is far more effective than say an air-borne virus. If you assume the infected will only be coming into sexual contact with similar types of people with occasional exceptions, you hit your target group very effeciently without risk of contaminating others. If, as some believe, HIV is a form of population control for the lower economic groups, minorities, homosexuals, or 3rd world countries, making intimate contact necessary for transmission would greatly reduce the number of people infected outside that group than an airborne or more easily transmitted disease.

I'm definately in the "HIV is man-made" camp.

[Edited on 19-5-2004 by el_topo]

Nature is best example of Biowarfare / Biodefense, Period.

Insects have developed the most lethal and decieving forms of biodefense possible, from Poisons and Neurotoxins to chemicals that kill in seconds. PLants come in a close second, with the same range of toxins and poisons. A tomato Plant will release poison if it believes it is under attak by insects, many medicines are derived from otherwise poisonous plants to treat everything from heart attacks ( digitalis from the Foxglove flower) to Reflux (acid from mint leaves).
We should consider ourselves lucky that plants are not aggresive, humans would not win that battle. UNderstanding how and why Nature
creates these defenses can lead to better understanding and even cures.