Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Apocalypse on Ice
Author: Dennis Peterson Posted: 6/2/1999; 2:00:27 PM Topic: Apocalypse on Ice Msg #: 6958 Prev/Next: 6957 / 6959
I just read the book by Ken Alibek, cited in this article. (He was a director of the Soviet biowarfare program.) The book is absolutely chilling. He believes that the Russians are continuing the program, though on a smaller scale these days, and also says that many of the lead scientists involved are now working in other countries, including Iran. Based on research they were doing before he left, and on papers they've published since, he believes they've succeeded in inserting Ebola genes into smallpox, combining virulence and intense lethality. They've "weaponized" quite a few other organisms, giving them increased resistance to antibiotics and vaccines, and the ability to withstand dispersal from ballistic warheads and cruise missiles.They've also had several accidents, including a release of anthrax that killed at least a hundred people, and an incident in which Alibek found himself standing in a puddle of tularemia several centimeters deep (enough to infect the entire Soviet population).
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