In the R&D pipeline: genetic warfare

[Carl Remick]

 Add this to the delights that can be expected to flow from the
cornucopia of genetic engineering.  From today's NY Times, "A History:
When the State Uses People as Guinea Pigs," by Philip J. Hilts.
Excerpt:

"Among the less familiar tales is that of the South African program
called Operation Coast, which was unearthed by that nation's Truth and
Reconciliation Commission hearings. 

"Operation Coast consisted of a series of experiments in the 1980's in
which biological and chemical weapons were tested, in one case on troops
from Mozambique, for use against apartheid opponents. 

"The commission also found evidence that among the secret medical
experiments was an effort to develop infertility drugs that would affect
blacks but not whites, Dr. [John] Moreno [director of the Center for
Biomedical Ethics at the University of Virginia and the author of 'Undue
Risk,' to be published this fall] wrote. 

"Dr. Moreno says it was unclear whether such drugs were actually tried
on humans, but the case raises the possibility of adding a fourth
horseman to the atomic, biological and chemical weapons - 'genetic
warfare.' 

"'Several classes of weapons could result,' Dr. Moreno wrote, 'among
them microbes genetically engineered to target certain human populations
based on a virus's ability to "recognize" the DNA variations in specific
subgroups.' 

"He added that the possibility was credible partly because 'people from
particular ethnic groups or certain geographic origins have long been
noted to be associated with sensitivities to particular foods and
drugs.' For example, he wrote, since ancient Greek times it has been
known that people of African and Middle Eastern origin often get sick
after eating fava beans. 

"Dr. Moreno wrote that the Defense Department already had begun studies
to design defenses against 'genetic' attack."

Carl