Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-rkxrd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T16:19:04.510Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Matrix of Biological Disarmament: Strategy, Law, and Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2016

Paul H. DeForest
Paul H. DeForest*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616
Get access

Abstract

During this century strategy, law, and technology have worked to the distinct advantage of biological arms control over weapons proliferation. Reliable strategies for biological warfare were never formulated. Customary and treaty law severely constrained use of biological weapons. Advances in technology were inadequate to overcome moral and tactical objections to disease as an instrument of war. As the first treaty prohibiting possession of an entire category of weapons, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention signalled the apparent achievement of biological disarmament.

Subsequently, the rise of genetic engineering and renewal of superpower hostility engendered fear that biological disarmament was threatened by technological advances in biological weapons promoting their increased military utility. Neither the recent past nor the foreseeable future justify such fear. Instead, there is now the opportunity to entirely eliminate biological warfare research, to extend disarmament to chemical weapons, and to redirect resources to the global war against disease.

Type
Articles and Commentaries
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 9 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Biotechnology and International Conflict , August 1990 , pp. 21 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, V. (1990). Chemical Warfare, Chemical Disarmament. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
Allen, G. (1978). Life Sciences in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Barton, J. H., and Weiler, L. D. (1976). International Arms Control: Issues and Agreements. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Baxter, J. P. (1946). Scientists Against Time. Boston: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Blakeslee, S. (1989). “Panel of Scientists Fears a Biological Arms Race.” New York Times (18 Jan).Google Scholar
Budiansky, S. (1986). “Qualified Approval for Binary Chemical Weapons.” Science 234 (21 Nov): 930–2.Google Scholar
Chemical Warfare Review Commission (1985). Report to the President. Washington, D.C.: U.S.G.P.O..Google Scholar
Cohen, I. S. (1978). Realpolitik: Theory and Practice. Encino, Calif.: Dickenson.Google Scholar
Cole, L. (1988). Clouds of Secrecy: The Army's Germ Warfare Tests over Populated Areas. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Council for Responsible Genetics (1990). “Pending Biological Weapons Legislation.” Gene Watch 6(2-3): 4.Google Scholar
DeLupis, I. D. (1987). The Law of War. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Department of Defense (1987). Soviet Military Power. Washington: U.S.G.P.O..Google Scholar
Dickson, D. (1986). “Soviets Discuss Sverdlovsk.” Science 234(10 Oct): 144.Google Scholar
Doerner, W. R. (1990). “A Rush to Sign New Accords.” Time (26 Feb): 19.Google Scholar
Douglass, J. D., and Livingstone, N. C. (1987). America the Vulnerable. Lexington, Mass.: Heath.Google Scholar
Dyson, F. (1984). Weapons and Hope. New York: Harper and Row.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falk, R. A. (1986). “Inhibiting Reliance on Biological Weaponry: The Role and Relevance of International Law.” American University Journal of International Law and Policy 1(5): 17–34.Google Scholar
Geissler, E. (1984). “Implications of Genetic Engineering for Chemical and Biological Warfare.” World Armaments and Disarmament 1984. London: Taylor and Francis, pp. 421–54.Google Scholar
Geissler, E. (1986). Biological and Toxin Weapons Today. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Greenwood, T. (1975). Making the MIRV. Boston: Ballinger.Google Scholar
Grieco, J. (1988). “Anarchy and the Limits of Cooperation: A Realist Critique of the Newest Liberal Institutionalism.” International Organization 42(Sum): 485–507.Google Scholar
Hamm, M. R. (1985). “Deterrence, Chemical Warfare, and Arms Control.” Orbis 29(Spr): 119–63.Google Scholar
Hansen, L. M. (1986-7). “Arms Control in Vitro.” Disarmament 10: 59–65.Google Scholar
Harris, E. (1987). “Sverdlovsk and Yellow Rain: Two Cases of Soviet Noncompliance?” International Security (Spr): 41–95.Google Scholar
Harris, R., and Paxman, J. (1982). A Higher Form of Killing. New York: Hill and Wang.Google Scholar
Hemsley, J. (1987). The Soviet Biochemical Threat to NATO. London: MacMillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hersh, S. (1968). Chemical and Biological Warfare: America's Hidden Arsenal. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday Anchor.
Kokeiev, M. E. (1986-7). “The Reality of Disarmament.” Disarmament 10: 67–72.Google Scholar
Krimsky, S. (1982). Genetic Alchemy. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Lappé, M. (1984). Broken Code. San Francisco: Sierra Club.Google Scholar
LeChene, E. (1989). Chemical and Biological Warfare: Threat of the Future. Toronto: Mackenzie Institute.Google Scholar
Magnien, E. (1988). Biotechnology Action Programme: Progress Report. Luxembourg: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
McCarthy, R. D. (1969). The Ultimate Folly. New York: Vintage.Google Scholar
McDermott, J. (1987). The Killing Winds: The Menace of Biological Warfare. New York: Arbor House.Google Scholar
McFadden, E. J. (1987). “The Second Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention: One Step Forward, Many More to Go.” Stanford Journal of International Law 24(Fall): 85–109.Google Scholar
McNeill, W. H. (1982). The Pursuit of Power. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
McPhee, J. (1975). The Curve of Binding Energy. New York: Ballantine.Google Scholar
Medvedev, Z. (1969). The Rise and Fall of T. D. Lysenko. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Morgenthau, H. J., and Thompson, K. W. (1985). Politics among Nations. 6th ed.New York: Knopf.Google Scholar
Myrdal, A. (1976). The Game of Disarmament. New York: Pantheon.Google Scholar
Narjes, K. H. (1986). “The European Commission's Strategy for Biotechnology,” In Davies, D. (ed.), Industrial Biotechnology in Europe. Oxford: Center for European Policy Studies, pp. 123–33.Google Scholar
Novick, R. (1985). “The Possible Impact of Genetic Engineering Technology for the Development and Use of Biological Weapons.” Statement prepared for Biotechnology Development Hearings, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Washington: U.S.G.P.O..Google Scholar
Piller, C., and Yamamoto, K. (1988). Gene Wars: Military Control over the New Genetic Technologies. New York: Morrow.Google Scholar
Posen, B., and Van Evera, S. W. (1987). “Reagan Administration Defense Policy: Departure from Containment,” In Oye, K. W. et al. (eds.), Eagle Resurgent? Boston: Little, Brown, pp. 75–114.Google Scholar
Primack, J., and Von Hippel, F. (1974). Advice and Dissent: Scientists in the Political Arena. New York: New American Library.Google Scholar
Pugwash Executive Committee (1986). “Statement Prepared for the 1986 Review Conference on the BWC.” Pugwash Newsletter 23(4). London: Pugwash Council, pp 106–7.Google Scholar
Rogers, M. (1977). Biohazard. New York: Knopf.Google Scholar
Roobeek, A. (1987). Biotechnology: A Challenge Full of Promise and Pitfalls. Brussels: Socialist Group European Parliament.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, B. H. (1987). “Updating the Biological Weapons Ban.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Jan-Feb): 40–3.Google Scholar
Seidelmann, R. (1984). “European Security and the European Communities.” Journal of European Integration 7(2-3): 221–51.Google Scholar
Shapley, D. (1978). “Technology Creep and the Arms Race.” Science (Sep 22, 29, and Oct 20).Google Scholar
Sims, N. A. (1988). The Diplomacy of Biological Disarmament. New York: St. Martin's.Google Scholar
Smith, E. A. (1984) “International Regulation of Chemical and Biological Weapons: Yellow Rain and Arms Control.” University of Illinois Law Review 4: 1011–73.Google Scholar
Smith, R. J. (1984a). “The Dark Side of Biotechnology.” Science 224(15 Jun): 1215–6.Google Scholar
Smith, R. J. (1984b). “New Army Biowarfare Lab Raises Concerns.” Science 226(7 Dec): 1176–8.Google Scholar
Storella, M. (1984). Poisoning Arms Control: The Soviet Union and Chemical/Biological Weapons. Washington: Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis.Google Scholar
Suzuki, D., and Knudston, P. (1989). Genethics. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Talbott, S. (1984). Deadly Gambits. New York: Knopf.Google Scholar
Triska, J. F., and Slusser, R. M. (1962). The Theory, Law and Policy of Soviet Treaties. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Tsipis, K. (1975). “The Long-Range Cruise Missile.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Apr): 15–26.Google Scholar
Tucker, J. B. (1984-5). “Gene Wars.” Foreign Policy 57 (Win): 58–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
United Nations (1980). United Nations Disarmament Year-book, Vol 5. New York: U.N..Google Scholar
United Nations 1986). United Nations Disarmament Year book, Vol. 11. New York: U.N..Google Scholar
United Nations (1987). United Nations Disarmament Year-book, Vol. 12. New York: U.N.Google Scholar
United Nations. (1988). Annual Report of the U.N. International Development Agency. New York: U.N.Google Scholar
U.S. Army (1988). Biological Defense Research Program Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. Ft. Detrick, Md.: USAMROC.Google Scholar
U.S. Senate Department of Defense Safety Programs for Chemical and Biological Warfare Research. (1988). Hearings, Subcommittee on Oversight of Governmental Management. Washington: U.S.G.P.O.Google Scholar
Van Creveld, M. (1989). Technology and War. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Weart, S. (1988). Nuclear Fear: A History. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Williams, R. (1973). European Technology: The Politics of Collaboration. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Wright, S. (1989). “The Buildup That Was.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Jan-Feb): 52–6.Google Scholar
Wohlstetter, A. (1979). Swords from Plowshares: The Military Potential of Civilian Nuclear Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Yamamoto, K. (1989). “Retargetting Research on Biological Weapons.” Technology Review (Aug-Sep): 23–4.Google Scholar
Zilinskas, R. (1986). “Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention,” In Geissler, E. (ed.), Biological and Toxin Weapons Today. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 82–107.Google Scholar