Did The US Bioweapons Program Ever Stop?

It is relatively common knowledge that the United States publically managed a biological weapons program, for offensive purposes, starting in second World War (1943) and officially existing until it was shut down in 1970. Although the program was officially ended by Nixon in 1970, and reports of the United States deploying biological weapons stretch as late as Korea, according to an investigation by the World Peace Council, and potentially in Vietnam, it is unclear whether the program was actually deactivated.

Skepticism towards the official declaration is not unwarranted, as it has frequently taken dozens of years for illegal actions of the United States government to come to light (as in the case of Operation Gladio, LSD overdosing of a French town, orany number of secret weapons tests). In many cases, official recognition of these actions is lacking, and more than indirect responsibility or apology is never seen. In the same way that Israel currently has, but officially does not have, a nuclear weapons program: it is totally plausible that the United States never retired its research into offensive biological weapons.

Biological weapons research would need to take place in laboratories carrying a bio-safety level of 3 or 4. The difference between a BSL 3 and BSL 4 lab is related to how dangerous and contagious a biological agent is: for instance Ebola and small pox are worked on in BSL-4 labs whereas Tuberculosis or Anthrax is worked on in BSL-3 labs.

Experimental disease research would theoretically take place primarily in BSL-4 labs, which require the scientists to wear suits and pass through two separate airlocks in order to enter the lab (which may only have one entrance/exit). But, what kind of research are they officially doing there?

Indeed, the United States admits that it is doing “defensive” work on biological weapons in BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities, but as any student of history can tell you: the line between defensive and offensive weapons and operations often lays in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, the programs are continuing develop more lethal and pure versions of some of our “favorite” biological weapons, as the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States indicated. For anyone who didn’t hear about it back then: the highly pure anthrax was traced back to Fort Detrick, Maryland, and the “lone suspect” (Bruce Edward Ivans) reportedly committed suicide with an acetaminophen overdose prior to ever being interviewed about the attacks.

Indications that the program may remain active lay in the fact that an increasing number of BSL-4 laboratories are being built, with the majority of BSL-4 laboratories worldwide already found in the United States. Despite BSL-4 labs being super-secure, accidental infections can occur, for example in 2009, when a scientist accidentally infected herself with Ebola in Hamburg. Ironically, these kind of accidents could be much worse when something as deadly, but more contagious (Ebola is not particularly contagious), than Ebola would escape. For the record, Ebola is most certainly not a laboratory made bioweapon.

If the United States has secretly continued its bioweapons research program, they are doing a pretty good job at keeping it secret. But, if they aren’t continuing this program, then why are they continually increasing the number of labs that are qualified to work with experimental and highly dangerous pathogens? As in the case with most state-held secrets: we will probably never know the answer for sure. Of course, one answer might simply be that these laboratories are, in fact, actually being used to create novel vaccines for diseases as dangerous as Ebola. But, that might still not be the only answer.

Did The US Bioweapons Program Ever Stop?