Evidence of Bio-Terrorism as Form and Method of Warfare

Abstract

In 1995, during the war in ex Yugoslavia, reports indicated that bio-agents and chemical agents were used to create illness among the defending soldiers in an attempt to destroy their combat effectiveness. In one case there was an apparent successful operation, Code named “Sword-!” by these regular forces to contaminate food (flour, sugar, oil…) with bioagents in a convoy bound for populated areas in one part of Bosnia. According to Operation Plan, bioagents had been tested on a captured soldier. What this event means for us? This is very strong evidence for the thesis which the CB MTS series had stated many times during the 1990s and into the beginning of this twenty-first century: Terrorism is evolving; the perception of the idea, tactics, forms and methods of terrorism is evolving. Previous research on terrorism as a phenomenon from the end of twentieth century, including actual terrorist acts, leads to a conclusion that today's terrorism is an instrument or form and method of warfare. This means that in the future we will have to face the fact that terrorism could be used not only by those who previously used it, but also by the states or organizations that practice using war as an instrument to achieve their goals. The reasons for this lie in the following facts: Globalization has brought many changes in social, economic, psychological, technical and informational aspects that have changed life and culture. These changes make it easier to achieve changes in economic, political and social insecurity without classical warfare. Scientific and technological progress has made it easier to produce or procure instruments for performing terrorism (including WMD) than before. Industry increasingly uses toxic chemicals and microorganisms in the production processes and has thus created many more potential targets for terrorism and military actions.