Expert: Biological terrorism more than 'abstract'

By Carol Clark
CNN

(CNN) -- Discussions about the threat of biological terrorism have moved from high-level meeting rooms into American living rooms, along with a host of other fears about national security in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

"Certainly a number of us were worrying about biological terrorism as an abstract possibility before," said David Siegrist, a research fellow and the director of studies for the Countering Biological Terrorism program at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Arlington, Virginia.

"But I think now biological terrorism is being taken much more seriously as a plausible possibility, as opposed to something that is in the realm of science fiction. The events of September 11 brought home to people how vicious terrorism can be."

The potential for biological terrorism has long existed, but most people were too worried about the nuclear threat to give it much thought, said Siegrist, a long-term consultant for the Department of Defense who has a background in strategic studies.

Siegrist himself did not focus on the topic of biological terrorism until the end of the Cold War.

"After the Berlin Wall fell, I was contemplating what were the remaining threats to America," he said. "I realized that it was no longer necessarily a matter of matching us plane for plane, tank for tank. If the disaffected wanted to challenge the United States they would do it over the heads of the U.S. military and try to attack the U.S. population directly. The possibility exists with some pathogens to do that. I found it disturbing and I wanted to learn more about it."

Biogical assault not easy

While the threat is real, particularly from infectious diseases such as anthrax and smallpox, citizens should avoid overreacting, Siegrist cautioned. Biological terrorism, while far less spectacular than the September 11 attacks, would require more expertise to carry out, he said.

"A biological attack is largely dependent on having great expertise in microbiology, weaponization and dissemination of the agent," he said. "Of course, all that could be eased if terrorists had assistance from a state sponsor with the requisite knowledge."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. military are developing surveillance systems to detect any deliberate pathogen release, Siegrist said.

The CDC has a national pharmaceutical stockpile ready for delivery around the country, but greater supplies are needed along with newly created vaccines, he said.

"There's a lot that's frightening about biological weaons, but if you learn more about them you realize that there's hope, that there's a lot you can do to protect and defend and minimize causalties," he said.

People who are concerned about the threat of biological attack should contact local officials to see if there is a response plan for their communities, Siegrist said.

Transcript of an online chat between David Siegrist and CNN.com readers: http://www.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/09/20/siegrist/index.html