ASA Newsletter 00-2

April, 2000
Issue Number 77


The sixth meeting in the Chemical and Biological Medical Treatment Symposia (CBMTS) series and the third international meeting to be held at the original venue of the CBMTS, the AC-Laboratorium Spiez (ACLS), Switzerland.

The CBMTS III

Spiez, Switzerland, 7-12 May 2000. Over 100 professionals in medicine, science and related disciplines from 32 countries will be representing government, academia and industry at this exceptionally important and timely symposium. The quality of papers, as well as the expertise of the presenters, when combined with the normal enthusiasm of the CBMTS members, will make for another lively, informative symposium - another great CBMTS meeting. On behalf of all CBMTS members, ASA and the CBMTS International Organizing Committee would like to thank Dr. Bernhard Brunner, Director ACLS, and the Swiss Federation for their continuing support of the CBMTS as a method in bringing together from east and west, north and south, the professionals in science and medicine to share knowledge and friendship. This sharing between the CBMTS professionals has produced documented results that we feel may have also contributed very much to understanding and peace. And all of us want to thank the Swiss CBMTS Organizing Committee for a job well done.



CBMTS-Industry II: Science, Medicine and Anti-Terrorism Measures.
The First World Congress on Chemical and Biological Terrorism
Dubrovnik, Croatia, 22 - 27 April 2001
First Announcement

Dubrovnik Here in this beautiful ancient fortress city and center of learning, the next CBMTS, the seventh meeting in the series, will explore the many facets of one of the world's most inexplicable phenomena - that of terrorism. Terrorism takes many forms and the CBMTS will first define terrorism from that basic dramatic and big bang act of the fanatical individual(s) to the long term event that includes very detailed planning and use of individuals who are either native to or well established within the area. These individuals may be either State or sub-national group sponsored. This 'quiet' terrorism may pose the greatest risk.

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Harvard-Sussex Program of CBW Armament and Arms Limitation present the CBW Colloquium:
Preparing for Chemical and Biological Terrorism: the New York City Model
A discussion with Jerome M. Hauer, former Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, New York City

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1 March 2000. It was a pleasure for ASA to attend this important discussion with Dr. Jerome 'Jerry' Hauer, former Commissioner Emergency Management for New York City. The discussion area for this colloquium was CB Terrorism as perceived and acted upon in one of the world's largest and most important cities. What most others at the national and international levels could only hypothesize, Jerry handled, on an almost daily basis, in real life. He was, as we would say, "down where the rubber meets the road". And the perception and response is different. Why? The immediacy of the event, whether the event is natural, man-made as in an accident, or man made with a purpose. At the national and international levels the alert, or upward flow of information received, has had at least one triage and a picture of the event is at beginning to form. At the event venue, local actions, actions by the first responder, must supersede the national and international response by hours to perhaps many days.

Full Article


Biological and Toxin Warfare: Lessons From History
by John Ellis van Courtland Moon

What can be learned from studying the history of biological and toxin warfare [BTW] in World War II?What light does history cast upon the current dilemmas and difficulties posed by arms control and disarmament in this field? My current reflections were inspired by the concluding chapter of the SIPRI book, Biological and Toxin Weapons: Research, Development and Use: from the Middle Ages to 1945, a chapter drafted by Erhard Geissler, Graham Pearson and myself. The debt that I owe to my two colleagues, who shared their knowledge and experience with me, remains immeasurable. The history of biological and toxin warfare is obscured and complicated by false allegations, unfounded suspicions and the difficulty of separating what is true from what is false.

Full Article

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For the Professional in Government and Industry with an interest in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense, Disarmament and Verification; Emergency and Disaster Medical Planning; Industrial Health and Safety; and Environmental Protection