How difficult is it for terrorists to acquire and use disease agents for bioterrorism?
We have witnessed that terrorists can obtain anthrax and other agents. Years before the current wave of anthrax-tainted letters, the wealthy and well-organized Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo secured anthrax, botulinum toxin, and Q fever. They tried to release deadly clouds over Tokyo as many as a dozen times, but without success. They turned instead to sarin gas, which they sprayed in the Tokyo subway, killing roughly a dozen people and injuring thousands. It is not easy to acquire, handle, and disperse deadly biologic agents in quantities that would cause disease epidemics. However, 12 countries considered potential enemies of the U.S. have biological weapons programs. And there are individuals worldwide, including in Iraq and the former Soviet Republics, who have expertise. Law-enforcement and intelligence agencies of the federal government are working to control the flow of expertise and equipment necessary for large-scale bioterrorism acts. In addition, public-health experts have iden
