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Summary: Agro-Terrorism and Epizootic Diseases

Jan C. Irlenkaeuser

Terrorists employing biological weapons in general, and attacks on agricultural targets in particular, have been considered only theoretically for a long time. This opinion, however, has been revised because of the security-political development in recent years. With this background an analysis of epizootic diseases, and particularly the danger of terrorist organisations getting hold of biological weapons, seems to be necessary.

One can detect numerous starts which could make employing epizootic diseases attractive for terrorist organisations. The risk of being discovered while preparing or employing such an agent against animals must be considered lower than that when using it against people. This particularly can be attributed to the easier ways of both preparing and employing it. Thus, neither very complex and strongly guarded laboratories are needed for preparation, nor must the demanding process of rendering a pathogen weapons-grade be run through.

Apart from political consequences - such as criticism of the crisis management of Blair’s government during the BSE-epidemic in 2001 - epizootic diseases also have economic consequences. Apart from direct economic damage caused by the diseases there are, additionally, partly much higher indirect costs caused by international trade restrictions and losses of income in directly and indirectly affected industrial sectors. In addition, in the case of an epizootic disease brought about deliberately, there are considerable psychosocial consequences in the affected regions and segments of the population.

We can assume that the psychological effects of an epizootic disease would be greater even if it became known that it is a terrorist attack, especially so if the disease were infectious for people. A definitive conclusion whether an attack with epizootic diseases in the form of biological weapons will be likely in future is impossible. Terrorists using these pathogens cannot be ruled out, although the effects of such an attack will not equal the destructive power of classic extermination weapons. The risk of an attack with epizootic diseases must be taken seriously, but the threat by forms of terrorism already known still seems to be much higher.



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Eigentümer und Herausgeber: Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung | Roßauer Lände 1, 1090 Wien
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