Bioterror: Manufacturing Wars the American Way

Ellen Ray and William H. Schaap (ed.)

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

The editors of this book, Ellen Ray and William Schaap, are two prominent U.S. authorities on the CIA. This well-documented book backgrounds several cases of development and use by the United States of chemical-biological warfare, from Agent Orange in Vietnam to the Gulf War syndrome of the 1990s.

In their introduction, the editors offer an up-to-the-minute analysis of current events concerning the issue of biochemical weapons and the "war on terror."

While Washington opts for 'first strikes' against Iraq and other nations declared to be part of the 'Axis of Evil' for stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, this book proves that the United States itself has been the most notorious practitioner of chemical and biological warfare since blankets laced with smallpox were given to Native Americans 200 years ago.

This well-documented book backgrounds numerous cases of the development and use of chemical-biological warfare by the United States, including anthrax, Agent Orange, nerve gas, dioxin, and depleted uranium. Such action has endangered US citizens and armed forces personnel as well as 'target populations', who will continue to suffer if Washington's belligerence remains unchecked.

Among the contributors are:
Robert Lederer (WBAI/Pacifica Radio journalist)
Tod Ensign (director of Citizen Soldier and veterans' rights advocate)
Dr. Meryl Nass (expert on anthrax and biological warfare who has testified several times to U.S. Congress).

Review by Paul Lappen (151003) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
One of the official reasons for the invasion of Iraq and the creation of the "Axis of Evil" is because of their supposed stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction. This short book, composed of previously published articles from CovertAction magazine, shows that America has the world's biggest stocks of such weapons, and has used them many times in the past.

America is a signatory to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, but the first Bush Administration refused to go along with the 1997 protocol on verification of compliance. While other countries with CBW capability were expected, by the US, to allow foreign inspectors access to their facilities, the US refused to grant such access. The fear was that legitimate commercial and military secrets would be exposed.

Officially, there has been a worldwide ban, since 1969, on the development of chemical and biological weapons. A loophole demanded by America allows for research on "defensive" bioweapons. There is a tiny difference between "defensive" and "offensive" bioweapons research.

Over the years, the US military has tested CBW techniques on American citizens a number of times. In 1950, a cloud of bacteria was sprayed over San Francisco by the US Navy, resulting in many cases of pneumonia-like symptoms. In 1955, the Tampa Bay, Florida area experienced a huge rise in cases of whooping cough after a still-secret CIA biowar test.

In 1932, the US Public Health Service started a study of untreated syphilis using 400 poor black men (who were never told of their sickness) in Tuskegee, Alabama. Another US policy has been the forced sterilization of women in the Third World. The purpose has been to protect US business interests from the threat of revolutions brought about by chronic unemployment.

After the "ban" on CBW research, many researchers simply continued their work under the guise of fighting cancer. Also covered in this book is the story of a widespread epidemic in Cuba in 1981 introduced by the US. Thousands of veterans returned from Vietnam and Iraq with the growing degenerative effects inside them of Agent Orange and depleted uranium. They have spent years fighting the US Government for any recognition or recompense for their illnesses.

My only criticism of this book is that the articles reprinted here were first published between 1982 and 1993. The editors couldn't have found anything more recent? This is a short book, but it says a lot. It's interesting, easy to read, more than a little sickening and shows what the US Government really does with taxpayer's money. It's recommended.
Paul Lappen (15th October 2003)