Bioterror the biggest threat

2005-03-01 21:17

Jocelyn Gecker

Lyon - Interpol sounded an "urgent" warning on Tuesday that bioterrorism was the world's greatest security threat and that police across the globe were ill-equipped to handle an attack.

At a meeting hosted by the global police agency, Interpol, police and security officials shied from publicly detailing specific threats.

But, they warned that al-Qaeda had clearly stated its intention to use biological weapons and that Iraq had become the breeding ground for terrorist groups.

"There is no criminal threat with greater potential danger to all countries, regions and people in the world than the threat of bioterrorism," said Interpol secretary-general Ronald K Noble in opening remarks.

"And, there is no crime area where the police generally have as little training than in preventing - or responding to - bioterrorist attacks," he added.

Weapons for mass murder

"The threat of bioterrorism is real," he said, noting that al-Qaeda had posted how-to instructions for making biological weapons on the internet.

It also had stated its intention of using biological or terror weapons for mass murder.

During the two-day meeting, police will examine past attacks - including the anthrax scare in the United States after the 9/11 attacks and the 1995 sarin attacks in the Tokyo subway.

Talks will focus on how to better prevent and prepare for threats and training police to handle them.

South Africa's police commissioner Jackie Selebi, who is also Interpol's president, singled out the possibility of an attack on the international food chain and livestock.

"The consequences of bioterrorist attack against livestock are substantial," he said, saying that "relatively little" attention had been paid to the threat.

"This is not science fiction," he said, "but a call for urgent prevention."

French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin described the level of a general terrorist threat today as "particularly high", and said that Iraq was where "most of the terrorist groups have set up offices".

Crucial to pool information

De Villepin said it was crucial for countries to pool information from their biotech labs, security agencies and hospitals to better track terrorist threats and know where to turn for help.

"Each country has to know what stocks of vaccines are available so they can be called on," he said.

Selebi said that since 9/11 there had been progress in working together.

There were now 117 countries contributing to Interpol's global database of names and photographs of suspected terrorists.

The database, which held information on 2 202 people in 2001, now had the names and pictures of more than 8 000 suspects.

- SAPA