America Faces High Risk Of A Terrorist Anthrax Attack; Six Years After U.S. Still Largely Unprepared Warns Terrorism Expert Neil Livingstone

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 16 Nov 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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America faces a high threat of an anthrax attack by terrorists and is largely unprepared six years after the 2001 incidents, according to an assessment released by ExecutiveAction at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"America is vulnerable to a terrorist attack with anthrax," said Neil Livingstone, one of America's premier terrorism experts and CEO of ExecutiveAction. "Just a small amount of anthrax can cause many casualties and severe economic harm. Yet six years after the U.S. experienced its first anthrax strikes, our nation remains largely unprepared."

The assessment - Spores: The Threat of a Catastrophic Anthrax Attack on America - examines the risk of an anthrax attack on the U.S., the challenges terrorists face to develop or gain access to an anthrax weapon, and our preparedness in the event of a strike.

In addition to Livingstone, attending the press conference were R. James Woolsey, former Director of the CIA; Professor Yonah Alexander, Director of the Center for Terrorism at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies; and David Wright, CEO of PharmAthene, a leading biodefense company.

"If we manage to become prepared before the next attack, Neil Livingstone and his colleagues will deserve much of the credit for sounding this realistic and stunning alarm," Woolsey said.

Al Qaeda began to build an anthrax weapon in the late 1990s but was disrupted by the Afghanistan war. Since then, the terrorist organization has regrouped and again has a safe haven to restart its program to develop non-conventional weapons, including anthrax.

"In 1998 Osama bin Laden declared it is the duty of Muslims to prepare as much force as possible to attack the enemies of God," Yonah Alexander said. "WMDs, including anthrax, are al Qaeda's weapons of choice. America must be prepared because the worst is yet to come."

The government has taken steps to stockpile enormous amounts of antibiotics, which are the public's primary defense against an anthrax attack. They are most effective when taken soon after exposure to anthrax. Symptoms from an infection - aches, fever, and a cough - do not normally appear for several days. But by this time antibiotics are largely ineffective. This means if an anthrax attack is not detected early, it will be too late to treat the public with antibiotics.

To fully protect the public from an anthrax attack, America must have several types of anthrax countermeasures available, including antibiotics, therapeutics (which provide protection after antibiotics lose their effectiveness), and a vaccine.

Anthrax Scenarios - New York, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, California

The assessment describes three anthrax attack scenarios. The first is a strike on New York's subway system, a "worst case scenario." After the announcement of the attack, people try to evacuate the city while others seek antibiotics from distribution centers. The government is unable to rapidly distribute antibiotics to everyone, leading to a breakdown in law and order. Thousands of people die, the subway system is closed, and the city stops functioning, causing catastrophic economic consequences.

In the second scenario, a terrorist disperses a small amount of anthrax in a Minneapolis cinema, at a Las Vegas casino, and then a California theme park. After each attack, the facilities are shut down and fear builds in the public. Hundreds of FBI agents work to discover the perpetrator without success, not unlike the 2001 attacks in the U.S. There is no end in sight from the attacks.

The third scenario is an attack with antibiotic resistant anthrax at the Academy Awards ceremony in which many Hollywood stars are killed.

PharmAthene Inc.

PharmAthene Inc., a leading biodefense company headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, hired ExecutiveAction to conduct an independent assessment of the threat of an anthrax attack on America.

"As a nation, we have the ability to provide protection against a biological weapon attack such as anthrax," said David Wright, CEO of PharmAthene. "It's my hope that this monograph will prompt a call to action by the public so we are adequately protected from a potential future attack."

ExecutiveAction, LLC

ExecutiveAction was founded to solve unique business, political, regulatory, legal and other problems. The firm currently is involved in rebranding foreign businesses, opening new markets both in the U.S. and abroad, and developing strategies for acquisition of companies. ExecutiveAction also provides competitive intelligence services to U.S. clients, along with security, logistics, and investigative support.

http://www.ExecutiveAction.com

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