DoD News Briefing
Tuesday, April 14, 1998 - 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Kenneth H. Bacon, ASD (PA)
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Q: A group of health experts today is once again warning... I guess they're making a prediction that a biological terrorism attack in the United States is likely in the near future, and it says that the United States, including the Pentagon, is ill prepared for such an event. Given the recent announcement by the Pentagon about increasing the budget in this area, can you just comment on whether or not the United States is ill prepared for an act of biological terrorism?A: We are working very hard to improve our ability to deal with any active biological terrorism. I think that we start with law enforcement and intelligence. Clearly that's the first line of defense, and we saw several weeks ago, law enforcement agencies did, in fact, arrest somebody suspected of dealing with anthrax. There is every year or so, sometimes twice a year, stories about law enforcement agencies arresting people who are thought to be carrying or fiddling around with containers of anthrax.
The Defense Department is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- FEMA -- under a piece of legislation called the Nunn/Lugar/Domenici Act to build up the ability in 120 cities to deal with potential biological or chemical challenges or events. And that program is ongoing. Thirty cities were surveyed the first year, that was last year. We're doing about 30, 40 more cities this year. I think it's a three year program to survey the capabilities of these cities to deal with chemical or biological attacks.
In addition, as you know, Secretary Cohen announced last month that he was setting up, delegating Guard and Reserve units to become experts in helping domestic law enforcement and disaster assistance agencies in dealing with chemical and biological accidents or incidents. So this is something that's receiving an increasing amount of attention.
We did, under Secretary Cohen's leadership last year, and the Quadrennial Defense Review, increase the amount of spending devoted to improving the military's ability to function in a chemical or biological environment. Better protective suits, better detective devices and, as you know, the most public thing we've done from a military standpoint is to begin inoculating troops against exposure to anthrax, and that is ongoing. More than 25,000 troops in the Gulf, it's probably up to over 30,000 now, have had their first shot and many now have had the second of the six shots required. So this is something that we're focusing on more aggressively, and I think more effectively.
It remains a worrisome threat, and basically it's a threat that we will continue to address.
I want to make one point that you should all stress in your coverage, which is that dealing with domestic threats is not a military responsibility in this country. It's the responsibility of domestic law enforcement agencies. We provide assistance. We do that through our laboratories. We do it with well trained people who are skilled in collecting and disposing of this material. We provide assistance as required to domestic law enforcement agencies if the need arises.
Q: One quick follow-up on the anthrax inoculations. Have there been any more reported cases of servicemembers refusing the shots, or have any of those who refused them had a change of heart and...
A: I'm not aware that there's been any change in that regard. I think maybe they should all read the press release put out by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases which talks about the threat that anthrax and other biological agents could pose to civilians or to military people. This is a threat that we're trying to address in a very rational and systematic way. Obviously, when you're dealing with a threat of unknown dimensions, and perhaps unknown timing, it's difficult to know exactly to what you're responding. But all we can do is try to move forward in a measured and intelligent way, and I think that's what we're doing.
Q: There are a lot of things... Balking troops are concerned about side effects. Is there any way the Secretary could get the Commander in Chief to take an anthrax inoculation to show them it's perfectly safe?
A: Wel, both the Secretary and General Shelton have been inoculated or have started the program. They've each had three shots. The Deputy Secretary, John Hamre, has started as well. They've shown no side effects.
You say a lot of these people are resisting. Only 16 people have resisted that I know of so far.
Q: ...about side effects.
A: Well...
Q: What about the Commander in Chief?
A: This is a drug, the vaccine has been used for several decades, widely used by veterinarians and others. It's also been administered to some of our special forces personnel on a fairly regular basis. It has almost no side effects whatsoever. In fact, last week when Under Secretary DeLeon returned from the Gulf where he surveyed the vaccination program, he reported that there had been only two cases of side effects. One was a fever blister that went away relatively soon, and one was a slightly elevated fever for a short amount of time. So I think that the top, that the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have set a very laudable example by taking the shot.
Q: The Commander in Chief?
A: I don't speak for the Commander in Chief. I'm sure that he has no fears about taking this vaccine. No one else should have any fears about taking it, either.
Q: Has there been contact between Radavan Karadzic's people that you know of with the International War Crimes Tribunal?
A: I'm not aware that there has been.
Q: Is there a stepped up effort to apprehend him or to frighten him that you know of by forces in Bosnia?
A: No. I think it's very clear to people who follow what's been happening in Bosnia, and certainly very clear to people who move in and out of Pali, that we believe that Radavan Karadzic should be in the Hague where he should be tried on charges of war crimes for which he's been indicted. That is the goal of the United States and the international community generally.
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Press: Thank you.
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