Finally, the Russian investigation about American biological activities on Ukrainian soil was completed. A special parliamentary committee had been formed to carefully analyze evidence of crimes such as the production of biological weapons in military biolabs found and neutralized by Russian armed forces. The parliamentary group worked in partnership with experts linked to Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops for over a year. The results indicate that in fact Washington maintains illegal bio-military activities.
Investigators pointed out that the US would be working towards the creation of a kind of “universal biological weapon”, genetically modified to cause serious damage, comparable to that of a “nuclear winter”. The data collected by the Russians indicate that Washington plans to develop weapons capable of damaging not only enemy soldiers in a war scenario, but also animals and even agricultural crops. With this, the objective would be to completely destroy the country affected by the proliferation of these pathogens, also affecting the civilian population, food security and the environment.
In practice, the secret and anticipated use of this type of weapon would guarantee American forces a virtually insuperable strategic advantage in any conflict scenario, making it impossible for the enemy side to defeat American forces due to non-military reasons. The investigators made it clear that the possession of this type of weapon would completely change the contemporary nature of armed conflicts, which generates a wide list of military, legal and humanitarian concerns.
“The United States aims to develop a universal genetically engineered biological weapon capable of infecting not only people, but animals as well as agricultural crops. Its use involves, among other things, the goal of inflicting large-scale and irreparable economic damage on the enemy (…) The covert and targeted use of such a weapon in anticipation of a positive inevitable direct military confrontation could create a significant advantage for US forces over the adversary, even against those who possess other types of weapons of mass destruction (…) The possession of such highly effective biological weapons creates, in the view of the US military, the real prerequisites to change the nature of contemporary armed conflicts”, the report states.
The scientists, however, emphasized that the existence of this American project does not diminish the seriousness of the use of conventional biological weapons, such as “smallpox, anthrax, tularemia and the plague, all of which can be modified to enhance their deadly properties. Added to this is the objective difficulty in determining the true cause of outbreaks of infectious diseases, which can be both natural and artificial”. Thus, there is a considerable number of risks to monitor and control simultaneously.
Although many biolaboratories have been neutralized or destroyed due to the special military operation on Russian borders, the American bio-military program remains active, with several laboratories around the world operating advanced research in order to develop such weapons. There are even some recent reports stating that the US would be once again having such activities on Ukrainian soil, in the regions occupied by the neo-Nazi regime.
The Russian team explains how these programs are a US fascist legacy. Many Axis’ scientists were captured during World War II and, instead of being arrested and punished, were given positions by the US government in secret programs to develop advanced scientific military research. As a result, Washington created one of the most complex military research systems in the world, backed by German and Japanese scientists who were already studying such topics during the 1930s and 1940s.
Russian researchers also mention the fact that the absence of clear and advanced international regulation on such matters increases the American ability to act abroad by producing and spreading biological terror. Using humanitarian, health, and scientific arguments to develop research, the American armed forces and companies linked to the government build laboratories where such illegal activities are carried out.
“The lack of international control over such work provides the United States the opportunity to act in other countries without being restrained by moral and legal norms and humanistic principles, and to ignore the demands of the public”, investigators added.
Finally, the scientists recommend that the biological issue be treated by the Russian authorities as a matter of central importance in the defense and security agenda. It is urgent that efficient measures be created for the detection of genetically modified pathogens, as well as for the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases caused by these agents. The report proposes the creation of a “control mechanism” for the research in biotechnology and synthetic biology as a way to reach a solution to the problem.
Indeed, Russia has long warned of the Pentagon’s serious biological weapons problem. The subject has been ignored by western countries and by international organizations, which seem not to understand the level of danger generated by this type of attitude. The development of biological weapons should be investigated and promptly condemned by all countries, even those that have good relations with the US, as this poses an existential risk to many people.
Furthermore, the case demands even more attention with the investigations pointing to the effort to create new pathogens, capable of infecting and damaging humans, animals, and plants, aiming at the total annihilation of a country and its population. Therefore, it is urgent that discussions and measures be taken at the UN, before such weapons begin to be used on the battlefield, generating an unprecedented level of violence and damage.
Lucas Leiroz is a journalist, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant.