biological warfare

The use of living organisms, or of infectious material derived from them, to bring about death or disease in humans, animals, or plants. At least ten countries have this capability. Advances in genetic engineering make the development of new varieties of potentially offensive biological weapons more likely.

Biological warfare, together with chemical warfare, was originally prohibited by the Geneva Protocol in 1925, to which the United Nations has urged all states to adhere. Nevertheless research in this area continues; the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, ratified by 143 countries, permits research for defence purposes but does not define how this differs from offensive weapons development. In 1990 the US Department of Defense allocated US$60 million to research, develop, and test defence systems. Russian president Boris Yeltsin signed a decree to comply with the Protocol in 1992. Although the treaty was ratified by the Kremlin three months after its original signing, national laws ensuring compliance were never passed.

In May 2001, 50 nations met in Geneva, Switzerland, to finalize a 1995 protocol for the policing of biological weapons. The USA, however, rejected the protocol, objecting to the strengthening of the treaty that would give foreign inspectors the right to check other members' installations. It believed the plan would expose US businesses to industrial espionage. In July, the USA announced that it considered the entire 1972 convention flawed beyond repair.