# Poll: Bioweapon Attack. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118 "2005-11-21T18:48:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/1 "2005-11-21T18:48:19Z")
According to [THIS](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4457514.stm), an Al Qida Bioterror attack against a Western city is “inevitable”. > [@](#): > > “Al-Qaeda has openly claimed the right to kill four million people using biological and chemical weapons,” he said. > > “Al-Qaeda is willing, able and patient enough to plan and prepare to execute terrorists acts that [once] would have been considered unrealistic or fantasy.” > > Interpol says several pathogens and viruses most likely to be used in any bio-terror attack, Mr Noble told delegates. Which will it be? [ol] [li]smallpox[/li][li]anthrax[/li][li]large-scale botulism[/li][li]or Ebola-style viruses[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/2 "2005-11-21T19:02:26Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > According to [THIS](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4457514.stm), an Al Qida Bioterror attack against a Western city is “inevitable”. > Which will it be? > [ol] > [li]smallpox[/li][li]anthrax[/li][li]large-scale botulism[/li][li]or Ebola-style viruses[/li][/ol] Not gonna happen. If it could be anything it would be the anthrax, but even that is definitely not going be 4 million people by any stretch of the imagination. Now I’ll tell you why it’s not gonna happen. Smallpox: There is no evidence that any viable smallpox even exists outside of an American laboratory Anthrax: w/t easily treatable with modern antibiotics, and not easily spread. Weapons grade; no evidence outside of American laboratory. Botulism: Anaerobic. Can’t be spread by aerosol. Not easily spread in food without detection Ebola (Marburg): Impossible to handle outside of Biosafety Level 4 lab. Short incubation. Host would die before infecting very many people. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, bioweapons are not easily developed and used. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/3 "2005-11-21T19:08:03Z")
> [@light strand](#): > > Smallpox: There is no evidence that any viable smallpox even exists outside of an American laboratory **WRONG** There are Russian stores, & perhaps Chinese. > [@](#): > > Botulism: Anaerobic. Can’t be spread by aerosol. Not easily spread in food without detection Wrong again. Botulism toxins can be spread by aerosol. > [@](#): > > Ebola (Marburg): Impossible to handle outside of Biosafety Level 4 lab. Short incubation. Host would die before infecting very many people. Suicide attack strategy makes this feasible. > [@](#): > > Despite widespread belief to the contrary, bioweapons are not easily developed and used. The experts are saying, in that article I linked to, & that you obviously didn’t read, that Al Qida has done the work to make it happen. That’s all you really need to do. ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/4 "2005-11-21T19:27:31Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > **WRONG** There are Russian stores, & perhaps Chinese. We have no evidence of this. We have been assured that they have them, and did not sell [them](http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051026/hl_afp/russiahealthterrorism_051026215217), but we have not audited any facilities. The only thing we can be absolutely certain of is that which we own. I argue this only in that claims to these things is often just chest beating (think Saddam Hussein) > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Wrong again. Botulism toxins can be spread by aerosol. You didn’t say “toxins”. But as far as the toxin goes, extremely easily treated, with a ~8% percent fatality rate. > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Suicide attack strategy makes this feasible 4 Million? You’ve got be kidding me? No freaking way. Especially not with Ebola . > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > The experts are saying, in that article I linked to, & that you obviously didn’t read, that Al Qida has done the work to make it happen. That’s all you really need to do. Experts? Mr. Noble doesn’t quote experts, doens’t mention by name, doesn’t say where he gets his information, and is not an expert himself. There are no “experts” there. It also doesn’t mention any specifics about terrorist capability, just claims. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/5 "2005-11-21T21:09:03Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] [ol] [li]smallpox[/li][li]anthrax[/li][li]large-scale botulism[/li][li]or Ebola-style viruses[/ol][/li][/QUOTE] 5. Tahini farts in elevators. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/6 "2005-11-21T21:28:32Z")
I was under the impression that ebola/marburg wasn’t airborne, making it rather hard to spread. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/7 "2005-11-21T21:31:47Z")
Nothing. Totally overblown. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/8 "2005-11-21T21:40:33Z")
Bosda… I love yah… but I think… You just got served. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/9 "2005-11-21T21:44:28Z")
> [@light strand](#): > > Mr. Noble…doesn’t say where he gets his information, and is not an expert himself. … It also doesn’t mention any specifics about terrorist capability, just claims. > [@](#): > > Evidence collected from sympathetic websites also pointed to an avowed intention to stage bio-terror attacks if operatives gained the capability, he added. It really is just made up bullshit. If we discovered a fifty foot high ape and we had the capacity to bring it to New York, it might go on a rampage. I’m not losing any sleep over this fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bioweapon-attack/332118/10 "2005-11-21T22:33:27Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > I was under the impression that ebola/marburg wasn’t airborne, making it rather hard to spread. Some strains apparently are; I recall reading a case where infected monkeys spread the disease appearently via air. Fortunately they appear very rare, and haven’t managed to get into the human population. Still; Ebola simply kills to fast to make a good bioweapon. That being said, bioweapons are hard to make, hard to deliver and really aren’t very good; that’s precisely why nukes are more commonly made by people who want WMDs.