Britain on smallpox alert

Evening Standard ^ | 2 Dec 2002 | Charles Reiss, Political Editor

[UKCajun]

Dramatic emergency plans to counter a biological warfare terrorist attack on Britain were announced by the Government today.

Within the next eight weeks, 12 disaster centres will be set up in London and across the United Kingdom ready to meet an attempt to spread smallpox among the population. In addition, some 700 key medical and Ministry of Defence staff are to be vaccinated against the disease to act as the front line against any attack.

The 12 "regional smallpox response groups" will hold supplies of vaccine under guard ready for rapid use. ...

[UKCajun]

For Americans like us with children who are living and working in London, this is very worrisome!

Especially, given the broken state of the NHS here!

See also: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/777600/posts

[pabianice]

People tend to forget that Britian is a nuclear power. Just one of its ballistic missile submarines could turn the entire Arab world into fused glass. If the Arabs are stupid enough to launch mass biowar against England, its response will not be kind (despite all the anti-gun sentiment in Parliament).

[Mr. Mojo]

United Kingdom ready to meet an attempt to spread smallpox among the population.

There already is a pox among the UK population, and the world population for that matter. It's called Islam, and its eradication will be a helluva lot more difficult than any traditional disease.

[Paleo Conservative]

People tend to forget that Britian is a nuclear power. Just one of its ballistic missile submarines could turn the entire Arab world into fused glass.

And the US could also sell Britain surplus Trident I missles that are being replaced by Trident II missles in US Trident SSBNs to repace any missles they shoot.

[concerned about politics]

People tend to forget that Britian is a nuclear power.

I wonder how far they'd go to protect themselves. Could PC cause them their demise someday? Socialist societies have always fallen.
It's a scary thought that PC could destroy so many.

[aShepard]

Oh, my God! I'm just thinking that Chelsea spends "some" of her time at Oxford, possibly in harm's way.

I fear for her safety, what with the Bush tax cuts and all>

[FreeTheHostages]

This focus on smallpox is getting scarey.

It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat.

[fivecatsandadog]

According to BBC World News, no specific threat - just taking precautions.

[Bogie]

Worry here in the US too.

[stilts]

Having recently read Ken Alibek's book Biohazard I have a dim view on the potential for a known vaccine having any chance of stopping an engineered bio-weapon.

[Snowy]

I wonder how far they'd go to protect themselves. Could PC cause them their demise someday? Socialist societies have always fallen. It's a scary thought that PC could destroy so many.

I also wonder if Bush would push the big red button. It's an awesome responsibility to think that on your word, you could destroy a whole lot of people, no matter what the circumstances.

[Glenn]

It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat.

Prescient thinking on your part. I believe you have solid instincts.

[cake_crumb]

Gee...and after reading all those smallpox threads where posters INSIST that smallpox vaccinations are a conspiracy by the Bush administration to force unwilling Americans to take it and die...how could Britain be worried about smallpox?? I mean...it's all manufactured right?? By the Bush administration? Propaganda to drum up support for was against Saddam??

</sarcasm>

[Mixer]

It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat.

I think that there has been without a doubt a specific threat made.

[cake_crumb]

"It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat."

Maybe...or maybe just a precaution. Each KNOWN angle of attack that can be circumvented makes the West that much more able to think about heretofore unknown methods of attack and dream up ways to preempt them.

[Matchett-PI]

"This focus on smallpox is getting scarey. It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat."

Didn't you hear what was said on Fox News Sunday? Fred Barnes specifically said, "President Bush is worried about Smallpox".

He said that in response to the two ditherers from NPR who were spouting the usual liberal slant about what they think the *terrorist threat* is.

If you recall --- Bush issued a request weeks and weeks ago for the pharmaceutical companies to provide a large enough amount of vaccine to vacinate all Americans. They refused, unless Congress passed legislation that would hold them harmless if the predictible number of people died after being vacinated. That just happened. Where were you?

[GOPJ]

Where there's smoke...

This focus on smallpox is getting scarey.

It's like there's some intelligence we're not privy to which indicates this is a serious threat.

[FreeTheHostages]

"Where were you?"

I'm aware of all that. That's why I say I think they have specific intelligence. Permit me then to ask: where was your brain if you read my comment as indicating that I didn't know these things were taking place? I'm talking about *specific* intelligence.

I accuse you of not knowing anything about American history. I divine this from your last post, which nowhere indicates this is the case. I then post my opinion on Free Republic. In this way, I advance civilized debate. </sarcasm> The question is not where was I. The question is where are your manners.

[FreeTheHostages]

It could be just a precaution, just rethinking the angles. But there's such a determined level of preparation, both here and abroad, it makes me think otherwise. I mean we all know that it's in the mix of possible things Al Qaeda was looking at. But it's as if there's more to this . . . . Living in DC as I do, it's grounds to be a little nervous.

[cake_crumb]

"I mean we all know that it's in the mix of possible things Al Qaeda was looking at. But it's as if there's more to this . . . . Living in DC as I do, it's grounds to be a little nervous"

Oh, I agree with you. The countries that al Qaeda infests and flourishes in are ALSO notoriously ridden with smallpox...among other deseases. It isn't as if tussue cultures aren't readily available in countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq.

I won't rule out the possibility of specific intelligence regarding a smallpox attack, but IMO, it's only the fact that smallpox is so prevalant in those Third World countries - and thus so easy to get hold of - that has prompted Western governments to take steps in order to prevent such an attack. After all, the psychos are likely to think first of readily available weapons, and smallpox is certainly 'readily available' in those countries.