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Richard Danzig, JD, DPhil; Pamela B. Berkowsky, MALD

JAMA. 1997;278(5):431-432.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

There is a widespread tendency to think about defense against biological warfare as unnecessary, as someone else's responsibility, or as simply too difficult. Unfortunately, however, the dangers posed by biological weapons did not disappear when the United States began to unilaterally dismantle its own of-fensive program in 1969. The dangers did not vanish with the signing of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention of 1972, and they did not dissipate with the end of the Cold War or the threat of nuclear retaliation against Iraq during the Persian Gulf conflict. Only by planning and investing in the right training and defensive measures can we diminish the likelihood that biological weapons will be used and reduce the risks, disruption, and casualties in the event that such weapons are used.¹ Fortunately, significant improvements can be made in our defensive posture at relatively modest levels of investment, and both the Department of . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
This commentary was written when both authors worked for the Office of the Undersecretary of the Navy, US Department of the Navy, Washington, DC. Mr Danzig, a Washington, DC, lawyer, was undersecretary of the US Navy from November 1993 through May 1997. Ms Berkowsky is now a special assistant in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense.

Reprints: Pamela B. Berkowsky, MALD, 1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4E732, Washington, DC 20350-1000 (e-mail: berkowsky.pamela@osd.pentagon.mil).

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