Does the end of the Iraq War and the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq mean the end of the threat of smallpox and the imperative to plan for the potential of smallpox as a bioterrorism threat?
No. While there was some concern that Iraq had smallpox virus and could release it, the threat of possible smallpox virus possession was never limited to the former Iraqi regime. Plans for smallpox preparedness were developed and completed through the work of the Smallpox Work Group of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program Advisory Committee in the summer of 2002, before concrete discussion of war in Iraq and before the President enunciated his ultimatums to Iraq that led to war or announced the federal smallpox plan in December of 2002. Thus, the Massachusetts smallpox plan was developed without reference to Iraq or the war in Iraq and the program was initiated without urgency related to the war. The situation remains that we have no way to assess the risk of smallpox as a bioterrorist weapon. The Massachusetts plan is based on the assumption that some small, but real, threat exists and a minimal number of individuals among severa
Related Questions
- Does the end of the Iraq War and the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq mean the end of the threat of smallpox and the imperative to plan for the potential of smallpox as a bioterrorism threat?
- How has banking changed in Iraq since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime?
- How does the threat of a war with Iraq affect the economy?
