U.S. Army physician and scientist, Col. Stanley John Whidden is recognized as an expert in chemical and bio-terrorism risk analysis and risk reduction. He has 38 years of career as an enlisted soldier and officer, and served in a variety of senior staff and command positions. As a double graduate of Southeastern, earning a bachelor’s degree in physiology in 1970 and master’s in chemistry in 1973 at Southeastern, Stanley John Whidden, earned a doctorate in Physiology at Auburn University and in medicine from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
Stanley John Whidden has served in a variety of military operations in the Middle-East and other localities, where he helped manage the country’s reconstruction and recovery. He has also served with U.S. Forces and the United Nations Somalia Logistics Command in Somalia. Because of his years of experience in the field, Stanley John Whidden is a perfect person to explain what chemical, bio-terrorism is, and how can we prevent and deal with the aftermath.
Chemical and biological weapons
Even before Christ chemical and biological weapons were already being used by the civilizations. Stanley John Whidden remembers that there are records of arsenic smoke being used by the Chinese in 1000 BC, and the tactic of poisoning the water during sieges is done way before the Athens poisoned the drinking water of Kirrha in 600 BC. However, what exactly are chemical and bio weapons?
Stanley John Whidden says chemical weapons are any chemical toxin contained in a delivery system that can cause death or any kind of injury through its chemical action. In the last years, devices, full or not, are also considered weapons. The most known agents are: chlorine and phosgene (known as choking agents), mustard and lewisite (known as blister agents), hydrogen cyanide (known as blood agent) and sarin, soman and VX (known as nerve agents). All of these are used as basic materials in many industries, and are only considered as a weapon when in large quantities.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an agreement to end with an entire category of mass destruction weapons. It prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons. Because some of the chemicals are used for peaceful and commercial reasons, the definition of a chemical weapon had to be well organized and couldn’t intervene in the right to acquire weapons, says Stanley John Whidden.
The CWC ended separating the chemical weapons into three parts, each a chemical weapon for itself, stored together or separately. Items or products designed or constructed with the intention to use in direct connection with a chemical agent is considered a weapon.
- The first part is the chemical itself, except for purposes state by the CWC, any toxic chemical that can cause harm, and any precursors (chemicals involved in production stages for toxic chemicals) are considered weapons depending on the intended purpose.
- The second part considered that any device designed specifically to inflict harm or cause death through the release of the toxic chemicals in the first part, are considered chemical weapons.
- The third and last part of the Convention Agreement states that the equipment designed specifically to be used with the devices of the second part are chemical weapons.
The convention also defined already made weapons in two categories:
- Chemical weapons produced before 1925: they should be destroyed or disposed as toxic waste after confirmed the date of fabrication.
- Chemical weapons produced between 1925 and 1946: only directed to weapons deteriorated to an extent that can’t be used as chemical weapons. This should be destroyed like the first ones, but the destination can change depending on the decision of the Executive Counsel.
According to Stanley John Whidden, biological weapons, also known as germ warfare, are considered the deadliest weapons ever produced. They are made with the use of microorganisms or natural toxins that can cause diseases in humans, animals or plants, and can be delivered by bombs or missiles but also through the water supply, insects and many other ways. The fear comes from the fact that germs don’t have barriers, and it can spread so quickly that can easily cause global impact.
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) have the same terms as the CWC, members are prohibited from using, developing, testing, producing, stockpiling, or deploying any biological weapon. However, members and non-members continued to research and produce them, especially because their production is cheaper than the nuclear ones, but the biggest threat is that an individual or terrorist organization will manufacture or steal any biological weapons says Stanley John Whidden.
For Stanley John Whidden is important to analyze that both Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention consider the use of toxins produced by living organisms as a weapon.
Chemical and bio terrorism
To Stanley John Whidden chemical and bio terrorism is the deliberate release of chemical toxins, viruses, bacteria, toxins or other harmful agents used to cause illness, injuries or death of human beings, animals, and plants. Bioterrorism is more attention seeking as the biological agents are relatively easy and cheaper to obtain, different than the chemical ones, also it is more easily disseminated, causing panic and fear more than actual physical damage.
When we talk about biological and chemical warfare, we generally think about terrorism, we think about attacks like the recent ones on Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State, where sulfur and chlorine were used to kill and injure as many people as possible. However, the use of these kind of weapons are not an exclusivity of terrorist groups. Stanley John Whidden remembers that during the Civil War in the U.S. Luke Blackburn, a future Kentucky governor, sold clothing contaminated with smallpox and yellow fever to Union soldiers. Another case is the famous letters with anthrax send to the media and the government in 2001. Counting the civilians injured, 19 people developed anthrax infections, while five died.
During the World War I more than 1 million of the 26 million casualties were done by chemical agents. However, the biological warfare was less successful, because of the difficulty of controlling the agent, most attacks were on the enemy livestock, that the enemy infected with anthrax glanders. After the WWI many countries increased the research and production of chemical and biological weapons. World War II didn’t have such large attacks with neither, since every country knew the other could retaliate. But the German Nazis used chemical and biological weapons at the concentration camps, recalled Stanley John Whidden.
Most chemical agents have immediate effects or will take a few hours for them to show. In biological agents the effects can be delayed, often for days, for example, the botulinum toxin symptoms occur in less than a day, but anthrax or plague can take from 2 to 5 days for any symptoms to appear.
Stanley John Whidden discuss that currently the biggest fear is the use of the weapons by terror groups, that found chemical and biological weapons well suited to their purposes. Luckily, it is difficult to obtain materials, prepare weapons, and deliver the attacks with the number of casualties intended. Also, the terrorist must have technical skills to cultivate the agent, know how it will behave, put together the chemicals and the weapon, and understand the mechanical proportions of the dissemination process. In all of this, Stanley John Whidden believes that one thing we can be sure, that these type of weapons only bring fear and despair.
How to respond to a chemical or biological attack
Since the 1950s, the United States government has been concerned about the possibility of a chemical or biological attack, however the prevention is in a limited capacity. The problem according to Stanley John Whidden is that are not ways to actually prevent completely any of these threats, but there are ways to have a quick response.
After the Aum Shinrikyo attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, where the Japanese response was basically ineffective, many U.S. officials thought that the country would have similar response if the attack happened here. As a result, the Congress started to address the threat of chemical or biological terrorism and to think on ways to prevent it and respond to it.
Since then local and state governments are organizing emergency services in response to terrorists attacks, and the FBI and federal government are responsible for the law enforcement aspects of terrorism. In 1996, the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act was made real by the Congress, to help local, state, and federal agencies in the response to act on chemical and biological terror. Two operational units were created, a Technical Escort Unit trained to deal with chemical munitions, and a Chemical/Biological Incident Response Force trained to rescue and decontaminate victims of chemical or biological attacks.
Stanley John Whidden says that for chemical weapons, if there is an attack, because many agents are heavier than air, the ideal procedure is to leave the area and go upwind, or to the sides of the wind stream. The toxins will only work it the chemicals are on you. Use soap and water to clean up, and stay on fresh air. The protection of breathing airways is an important factor in a situation where chemical or biological agents are present.
With biological warfare the basis of personal hygiene and sanitation are the best way to prevent yourself of any agent, affirms Stanley John Whidden. Beside washing your hands often, not sharing drinks and food, keeping your house clean and garbage can with a tight lid on it and preventing standing water, there aren’t much more to do. If water is not available, you can use talcum powder or flour to do the decontamination of liquid agents, reducing the possibility of absorbing an agent through the skin. Remember that most chemical and biological agents will break when exposed to the sun, water, or winds, so independent of the agent or its concentration, evacuate the area as soon as possible, say Stanley John Whidden.
In case of an attack don’t count on a vaccine being available, since the weapons utilize will use a new strain of the virus, requiring a new treatment, that can take months or years to develop, produce and distribute on a large scale. To Stanley John Whidden, it is also a good idea to take your flu vaccines and any other treatment available to stay healthy. If your body is healthy is will be easier to fight whatever disease may come.
World Health Organization (WHO), the justifys for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other governmental and non-governmental organizations ask people, in case of a crisis, to stay informed and look for official sources of information. In addition, it is informed to stay home and keep the children away from school in case of any attack. It’s a normal and efficient way to avoid exposure.
Another way to be prepare, according to Stanley John Whidden, is to make sure you have an adequate supply of essential medications, fever, vomit, pain, any antiviral. Also, seek your doctor if you have any onset of symptoms, the effectiveness of any antiviral medications decreases with the illness progress, fast medical treatment is imperative to a fast full recovery.
Always be alert to the presence of a chemical or biological agent. Stanley John Whidden affirm that indicators of an attack can include, droplets of oily film on surfaces, unusual death or dying animals in the area, unusual liquid sprays, vapors and smells and victims with symptoms of nausea, difficulty breathing, convulsions or disorientation.
Stanley John Whidden 