Abdul Rasool Syed
CORONA virus has sent chills down the spine of the populace across the globe. It is the most lethal form of virus which, despite untiring efforts of Chinese biological scientists, still remains an incurable epidemic. On the other hand, conspiracy theorists have now started advancing their self-concocted theories regarding the germination and spread of this devastating pandemic. One of such theories is that corona virus is not a natural phenomenon but an engineered biological weapon, incubated and choreographed by the adversaries of China to emaciate her military and economic muscle. Another conspiracy theory, surrounding corona is that this virus was being created by China in her virology Lab in Wuhan which it could not control in leaking it into atmosphere. These may be conspiracy theories nonetheless the veracity of such arguments need to be ascertained and should not, therefore, be repudiated out rightly. However, it is an axiomatic fact that bio-weapons have been used extensively in past wars in order to subject the rival forces to a humongous human and economic catastrophe. Biological warfare also known as “germ warfare,” involve the use of toxins or infectious agents that are biological in origin. This includes bacteria, viruses and fungi. These biological agents are used to incapacitate or kill humans, animals or plants as part of a war endeavour. The war chronicles is replete with myriad events in which bio-weapons were used to debilitate the adverse army. The use of biological agents is as old as hills. Attempts to use biological warfare agents date back to antiquity. Its maiden manifestation was surfaced when Scythian archers infected their arrows by dipping them in decomposing bodies or in blood mixed with manure as far back as 400 BC. Persian, Greek and Roman literature from 300 BC quotes examples of dead animals, employed to contaminate wells and other sources of water.
During the battle of Tortona in the 12th century AD, Barbarossa used the bodies of dead and decomposing soldiers to poison wells. To add, during the siege of Kaffa in the 14th Century AD, the assailant Tatar contingent hurled plague-infected corpses into the city in an attempt to cause an epidemic within enemy forces. Additionally, during the French and Indian War in the 18th century AD, British forces under the patronage and command of Sir Jeffrey Amherst provided the Native Americans with blankets that had been used by small pox victims in a bid to spreading the disease. Furthermore, allegations were also made during the American Civil War by both sides, but especially against the Confederate Army, of the attempted use of smallpox to cause disease among enemy forces. In 1900, biological warfare became more sophisticated and advance. During World War I, the German Army developed anthrax, glanders, cholera, and a wheat fungus specifically designed to be used as biological weapons. They allegedly spread plague in St. Petersburg, Russia, infected mules with glanders in Mesopotamia and attempted to do the same with the horses of the French Cavalry. Even during World War II, Japanese forces operated a secret biological warfare research facility (Unit 731) in Manchuria that carried out human experiments on prisoners. They exposed more than 3,000 victims to plague, anthrax, syphilis and other agents in an attempt to develop and observe the disease. Some victims were executed or died of their infections. Autopsies were also performed for greater understanding of the effects of these viruses on the human body.
In 1942, the United States formed the War Research Service. Anthrax and botulinum toxin initially were investigated for their use in wars as weapons. The British also tested anthrax bombs on Gruinard Island off the northwest coast of Scotland in 1942 and 1943 and then prepared and stockpiled anthrax-laced cattle cakes for the same reason. The United States continued research on various offensive biological weapons during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1951-1954, harmless organisms were released off both coasts of the United States to demonstrate the vulnerability of American cities to biological attacks. This weakness was tested again in 1966 when a test substance was released in the New York City subway system. Moreover, in 1979, an accidental release of anthrax from a weapons facility in Sverdlovsk, USSR, killed at least 66 people. The Russian government claimed these deaths were due to infected meat and maintained this position until 1992, when Russian President Boris Yeltsin finally admitted to the accident.
Besides, following the Persian Gulf War, Iraq disclosed that it had bombs, Scud missiles, 122-mm rockets and artillery shells armed with botulinum toxin, anthrax, and aflatoxin. They also had spray tanks fitted to aircraft that could distribute agents over a specific target. Further, In 1994, a Japanese sect of the Aum Shinrikyo cult attempted an aerosolized (sprayed into the air) release of anthrax from the tops of buildings in Tokyo and in 1995, two members of a Minnesota militia group were convicted of possession of ricin, which they had produced themselves for use in retaliation against local government officials. In addition, in 2001, anthrax was delivered by mail to U.S. media and government offices. There were about five deaths as a result. Further, in December 2002, six terrorist suspects were arrested in Manchester, England; their apartment was serving as a “ricin laboratory.” Among them was a 27-year-old chemist who was producing the toxin. To add, on 3 Feb 2004, three US Senate office buildings were closed after the toxin ricin was found in a mailroom. To sum it up, corona virus may or may not be bio-weapon but we must unite and raise voice against the use of bio-weapons in wars since it is the question of not only our survival but also of our posterity. Finally, let me quote famous lines of John F Kennedy who once remarked “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind”.
— The writer is a Legal practitioner-cum-columnist based in Quetta Balochistan.
