Global Security Newswire
Daily News on Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Weapons, Terrorism and Related Issues
Anthrax Outbreak Shows U.K. Unprepared for Possible Attack: News Report
A 2009 outbreak of anthrax among heroin users in Glasgow, Scotland demonstrated that the United Kingdom is woefully unprepared to deal with a mass disease occurrence that might be caused by an act of biological terrorism, the British Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported last week (see GSN, Jan. 12).
The United Kingdom at the time did not have the appropriate personnel or medical countermeasures to deal with the outbreak, the BBC reported. The United States had to provide the necessary antitoxins and specially trained personnel to deal with the anthrax cases.
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NTI Analysis
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Between Publishing and Perishing? H5N1 Research Unleashes Unprecedented Dual-Use Research Controversy
May 3, 2012
Recently, researchers in the Netherlands and the United States identified genetic mutations that could enable H5N1 bird flu to become easily transmissible from one human to another. Controversy has emerged about whether the details of these two particularly sensitive H5N1 studies should be openly published to aid global pandemic preparedness or withheld in the interests of national security. Because similar trade-offs will emerge frequently in the field of biotechnology, the task of devising effective management strategies for so-called "dual-use research of concern" will continue to increase in both complexity and importance.
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UNSCR 1540 Resource Collection
March 19, 2012
The UNSCR 1540 Resource Collection examines implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires all states to implement measures aimed at preventing non-state actors from acquiring NBC weapons, related materials, and their means of delivery. It details implementation efforts in all of the regions and countries of the world to-date.
Country Profile
United Kingdom
This article provides an overview of the United Kingdom’s historical and current policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation.
