Deadly Cultures. Biological Weapons since 1945
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Author(s): M. Wheelis, L. Rózsa and M. Dando (Eds)
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674016998
Format: hardback
476pp
Price: Ł37.95, $59.95, €51
Review Date: 12 April 2006
Review: After the second world war many of the victorious powers emerged with active biological weapon (BW) research projects. All the principal powers involved eventually abandoned their programmes – the UK in the 1950s, the USA and Canada in 1969, Russia in the early 1990s. This book examines the programmes in the USA, the UK, Canada, the Soviet Union and France from WW2 to their termination. There were several states that pursued an offensive BW capability, beginning well after WW2 – two of these are discussed here: Iraq and South Africa. Although there are no confirmed instances of BW being used as weapons since WW2, there are allegations of covert state use of BW, and several instances of terrorism, or attempted use. The authors look into these instances. The last two chapters discuss the political and legal perspectives on the development of the biological disarmament regime.