3rd anniversary of Shock and Awe.

On the third anniversary of our “shock and awe” invasion of Iraq there is one word Americans should focus on. Smallpox. While there is yet to be a universally agreed upon definition of terrorism, smallpox, by any measurable indicator is the epitome of human terror.
By body count alone it dwarfs all other forms of lethal force humanity has experienced. Nearly 100 million people were killed in all the wars, revolutions and conflicts combined over the last century. Smallpox alone killed 300 million people in the first 70 years of the last century.
This 70 year statistic exists because smallpox was eradicated around 1970. It was humanities first real victory against infectious diseases. It took a 10 year global campaign with universal participation to wiped the wild virus from the face of our earth.
Unfortunately, Soviet and US scientists fearing a potential smallpox return, kept a few samples of the killer virus in well protected biosecurity labs within their own countries.
Cold war fears and advances in biotechnology allowed the Soviets to modify their samples to create a weaponized version of smallpox, even more lethal than the original. .
Between the cold war years, the fall of the Berlin wall and 9-11 many such engineered biological weapons were poorly stored and accounted for within the former Soviet Union. In the 1990s many bioweapons intelligence experts were concerned that vials of weaponized smallpox had found their way to at least 5 other nations including Iraq.

This one profound factor alone should have been enough reason for President Bush or any other rational policy maker to decide firmly and sanely against an invasion of that middle-east nation. Even Saddam understood that his military was incapable of standing up to US forces. Our greatest fear about invading Iraq shouldn’t have been about the loss of US troops in such fighting. It should have been a last stand reprisal by Saddam to punish the West for it’s unprovoked invasion. What is also should have taught us (and still can) is the lunacy of relying on the physics of military power in a biological era.

Some people might remember that the Bush Administration tried to prepare Americans for just such a scenario by calling for an increase in the production of smallpox vaccines and the inoculation of both US military personal and a large percentage of our nation’s homeland medical and healthcare first responders. This failed for domestic fear of the potential for unintended consequences (side effects?) associated with receiving the vaccine, but even more important, many rightfully feared that the vaccine wouldn’t give any protection against a ‘weaponized strain’.
Prior to the invasion Rep. Chris Shays, (D-Conn) told ABCNews "Smallpox in the hands of Saddam Hussein is a great concern and obviously a more virulent strain is of even more concern." But, Bush decided to invade anyway. It’s hard to imagine any action against Iraq that would have been more irresponsible and risky than an invasion. It alone should be grounds impeachment. Had smallpox been intentionally or accidentally released as a result of our attack the world would have suffered terror on a scale that would make the event of 9-11 seem quaint.
Humanity was fortunate that Saddam had either moved, hidden or earlier eliminated any smallpox vials he may have had in Iraq’s possessed. But, we are not yet safe. Even if there were no WMD in Iraq, with each passing day the increasing power, global distribution and affordability of biotechnology is providing any aggravated nation state, radicalized group or inflamed individual with the capacity to develop a biological weapon that will make smallpox look wimpy.
Oh, and did you happen to notice an announcement by the Whitehouse today on the third anniversary of our ‘shock and awe’ bombing campaign in Baghdad? The Associated Press covered the story saying that the Bush Administration’s cabinet secretaries had just participated in a drill that simulated a “smallpox attack” as a means of testing our government’s plans to “counter the potential use of bioweapons by terrorists.” White House spokesperson, Dana Perino said it was only a drill. A similar rehearsal in December for Pandemic flu showed we needed more planning locally and more production of vaccines.
Everything has changed except our persistent belief that we can achieve peace through strength. When we use that strength irresponsibly we can be sure that we will likely rest in peace before we see it.
Smallpox Drill tests readiness: Cabinet officials take part: Attack not ‘imminent’.
Washington Times Sunday March 19, 2006. Page A3.