Biological weapons - who’s worse?
By Murray Bourne, 07 Feb 2006
Saw a disturbing documentary (by Australia's ABC) recently on the story of biological weapons in the Soviet Union and USA. Having signed non-proliferation treaties in Nixon's time, both countries went ahead and kept making them anyway.
The Soviets had 4000 tonnes of anthrax at the height of the insanity... (It was not clear whether it has all been destroyed since.) And the Americans were happily producing all sorts of nasties as well - which they claim have been destroyed. Who do you believe?
The body language in the interviews with scientists who developed this stuff was telling. The ex-Soviets were a lot more uncomfortable and remorseful about what they did compared to the main American scientist.
It was interesting (and disturbing) that Australia developed technology during its successful use of myxomatosis against the wild rabbit problem in the 1950s. This technology was used by the US in their biological weapons programme for the propagation of viruses.
What was hideous was the use of conscientious objectors as guinea pigs to test the various influenza viruses developed by the US. These people were objecting to service in Vietnam - mostly Seventh Day Adventists.
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