Barak: More bioterrorism security needed

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

While strengthening security at airports and on airlines is a needed step to protect civilians from terrorist attacks, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak believes that biological attacks will be the next avenue of attack for terrorist groups.

"We may be over focused on the air transport industry, and misjudging the threat to other areas, especially bioterrorism," Barak said Monday during the opening session of BioSecurity 2002, a conference at the MGM Grand where experts are sharing information about bioterrorism. "However evil and distorted the character of these terrorists, they are capable and experienced human beings, and we shouldn't underestimate them.

"These people used airplanes as living cruise missiles, and would have no hesitation in releasing smallpox over a populated area or detonating a nuclear device."

Barak said that more attention needs to be paid to biological attacks, and that conferences like BioSecurity are a good first step.

The conference runs through Thursday and is designed to bring the military, doctors, first responders, security professionals and scientists together to prevent and prepare for biological attacks that could take the form of anything from anthrax to small pox, said Dr. Robert Crone, president of Harvard Medical School.

Research into new vaccines, sharing of intelligence, hardening targets and preparing the population for biological attacks are among the areas of discussion at the conference.

In Israel, which has been dealing with bioterrorism for more than a decade, the population has been issued gas masks and protective clothing, and also educated about the possibility of "dirty bombs" and other delivery methods of chemical agents, said Barak, who served as prime minister from July 1999 to March 2001.

Key first responders in Israel, including some doctors, paramedics and military and law enforcement personnel have been vaccinated against smallpox. President Bush is expected to make a decision within the next two weeks of whether to vaccinate only key responders or give shots to most Americans.

"In Israel we wanted to have the people needed in an emergency to be able to respond, and we have also stockpiled vaccine," Barak said.

The United States already tracks outbreaks of dangerous diseases through the Defense Department's Global Emerging Infections System. There are, however, few deterrent systems in use for biological threat agents, BioSecurity officials said.

"We have efficient and effective sensors for chemical and radioactive substances, but we are far behind in sensing and analysis of biological substances," Barak said. "We need to start the research and development for these systems."

One area that Barak says has improved worldwide is the sharing of information between intelligence agencies.

"Over the last three years and especially over the last 1 1/2 the intelligence communities of the free world have shown very good coordination in the struggle against terrorism," Barak said. "There is still work to be done on a global database for immigration."

Barak added that he sees a clear connection between Iraq and terrorism, and said that military action in Iraq by the United States could send a strong warning to terrorists across the world.

"The real danger lies in inaction," Barak said. "Saddam Hussein has gassed his own citizens on a massive scale. No one knows how close he is to having a nuclear device."