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BATTLEFIELD OF THE FUTURE

Battlefield of the Future - Air University Press

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<strong>BATTLEFIELD</strong> <strong>OF</strong> <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FUTURE</strong><br />

agencies . The complete vulnerability of the United States if<br />

exposed to this type of terrorism would prompt other terrorists<br />

to attempt the same type of attack for extortion or additional<br />

terror impact .<br />

Prior to a domestic incident such as this, a capable,<br />

practiced, and coordinated response mechanism must be in<br />

place . The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)<br />

provides this coordination function, but its actual familiarity<br />

and practice associated with biological terrorism is not known .<br />

The health-related support functions found in the<br />

Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs,<br />

and Defense would have to be integrated into a single response<br />

plan .<br />

Stockpiles of necessary antibiotics, immunoglobulins, and<br />

vaccines would have to be procured, maintained, and be readily<br />

available to administer within hours after recognizing an<br />

incident . An additional critical element of this response would be<br />

the management of information to allay fears and avoid<br />

unnecessary panic . The effort required to respond to a biological<br />

act of terror rivals that needed for an accidental or deliberate<br />

detonation of a nuclear device .<br />

Arms Control<br />

The BWC clearly represents the "lock which keeps the<br />

honest man honest ." It serves a vital function by establishing<br />

an international norm against BW proliferation . Efforts should<br />

be made to provide both disincentives and incentives for<br />

current states to comply with the BW treaty . Nonsignatories<br />

should be leveraged to participate in the convention .<br />

Strengthening the BWC by enhancing transparency of<br />

biological activities is stated US government policy . Measures<br />

identified in the third review conference are being examined<br />

for use in a possible formal protocol . Like the warning to<br />

consumers--caveat emptor, subscribers to the convention must<br />

understand that complete verification is not just elusive but<br />

impossible .<br />

During the original proposal of the BWC by the United<br />

Kingdom, the Soviet military strongly opposed any limitation<br />

on offensive BW. The Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko<br />

242

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