By
Geoff Metcalf
June
24, 2002
NewsWithViews.com
There
are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that
obscures." --James
Thurber
In
the wake of 9/11 we have heard a constant refrain of “There will be more
terrorism HERE in the continental United States.
The
chronic caution of weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological
and/or nuclear) echoes in the media.
Regardless
of what happens or who precipitates the attack the conventional wisdom is
that Americans will be forced to deal with the aftermath of
‘something’ big, bad and terrifying.
What
will it be?
Chemical attack:
Aerial, water borne, or a subway incident (similar to what Japan
suffered March 20, 1995, when terrorists released sarin, an
organophosphate (OP) nerve gas at several points in the Tokyo subway
system, killing 11 and injuring more than 5,500 people.) could all be
devastating but limited in scope.
Dirty Nuke attack:
Would have an epic psychological impact on the country but probably
result in ‘relatively’ small numbers of dead.
Biological attack:
Could and would be the worst (short of a for real nuclear devise). Smallpox, plague, or Ebola could and would spread
rapidly and cause large numbers of fatalities and a synergistic
psychological impact.
Where
will it be
*
Washington D.C. is number one on the prospective target list.
New Yorkers may dodge the
bullet and be able to breathe a sigh of relief…maybe.
*
Newsmax reports if the weapon of choice is a dirty it will likely be in
Washington. They also hear
that potassium iodide, a substance that prevents lethal radioactive iodine
from lodging in a person’s thyroid, has been selling like crazy.
*
Again, according to Newsmax, a famous journalist in Washington has already
stockpiled the trunk of his car with 10 days' worth of provisions and has
plans for a quick exit from the area if anything happens.
*
I’ve heard numerous reports of folks stocking ‘bug out bags’
*
HOWEVER, CONUS (Continental United States) terrorism could occur:
o In ANY major metropolitan area.
o ANY power generation facility (especially including nuclear
plants).
o Bridges
o Dams
o Waterways
o Entertainment venue
o Government OR Financial buildings
Just
recently significant ethical and logistics issues have been raised after
the recent decision by a government advisory panel to recommend smallpox
vaccination for about 15,000 health care and law enforcement workers.
Doctors
claim, some of the 15,000 "first responders" who receive the
vaccine could suffer serious — potentially even deadly —
complications. In other words
the potential cure for a devastating fatal disease could kill you.
Swell!
Shortly
after the 9/11 events I reported about a simulated bioweapons exercise
called ‘Dark Winter’ http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/darkwinter_20011128.html.
The
key issues raised were:
* How to meet
homeland security and disease containment needs while maintaining
international commitments?
* What
alternative epidemic controls (e.g., quarantine, travel restriction) are
possible? What about economic disruption and civil rights infringement?
* What
assistance can the federal government offer states?
* What is the
role of the National Guard?
* Is the
nation at war?
There
were depressing predictions that within 3 weeks as many as 300,000 total
victims –100,000 who would die.
The
‘Dark Winter’ exercise http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/darkwinter.html
“portrayed a FICTIONAL scenario depicting a covert smallpox attack on US
citizens. The scenario is set in three successive National Security
Council (NSC) meetings (Segments 1,2 and 3) which take place over a period
of 14 days. Former senior government officials played the roles of NSC
members responding to the evolving
epidemic; representatives from the media were among the observers
of these mock NSC meetings and
played journalists during the scenario's press conferences (see
Participant List). The exercise
itself was held at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. on June,
22-23, 2001.”
Currently,
government officials don’t recommend widespread vaccination because, in
the absence of a specific known smallpox threat, the vaccine's dangers
seem to outweigh its benefits. We stopped routine smallpox vaccinations in 1972.
I got my last smallpox shot in 1971 at Fort Benning, Georgia.
However
after the anthrax attacks last fall, disease centers asked a panel to
determine whether more Americans should get the vaccine.
By
early 2003, the government expects to have enough vaccine made from a new
technique to protect every American. However, one potential problem is that a recipient can
inadvertently pass on vaccinia to other people who have not consented to a
vaccination. Gee, they never
told us THAT before?
President
John F. Kennedy once said, "Today, we need a nation of Minutemen,
citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard
the preservation of freedom
as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to
consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom."
Never
were those words truer. In the growing shadow of what we are told is inevitable doom,
it becomes the responsibility of every individual to care and protect not
just themselves and their family but their friends, neighbors and
countrymen.
The
Warrior Creed
by Robert L. Humphrey
