- Isis fanatics may be thinking of infecting themselves with Ebola, says expert
- A U.S Naval War College lecturer says strategy is entirely plausible
- The virus is running rampant in West Africa, with 3,800 dead in a few months
Published:
11:57 GMT, 9 October 2014
|
Updated:
17:28 GMT, 9 October 2014
Terrorist group Isis may be considering using Ebola as a suicide bio-weapon against the West, according to a military expert.
The
virus is transmitted by direct contact with an infected person who is
showing the symptoms – and it wouldn't be difficult for fanatics to
contract it then travel to countries they want to wreak havoc in,
according to a military expert.
Capt.
Al Shimkus, Ret., a Professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S.
Naval War College, said that the strategy is entirely plausible.
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Terrorist group Isis may be considering using Ebola as a suicide bio-weapon against the West, according to a military expert
He told Forbes:
'The individual exposed to the Ebola Virus would be the carrier. In the
context of terrorist activity, it doesn't take much sophistication to
go to that next step to use a human being as a carrier.'
And Professor
Anthony Glees, Director at Buckingham University's Centre for Security
and Intelligence Studies, agrees that the strategy might be considered.
He
said: 'In some ways it’s a plausible theory – IS fighters believe in
suicide and this is a potential job for a suicide mission. They are
sufficiently murderous and well-informed to consider it, and they know
that we’ve been remiss in the UK.'
The
virus is running rampant in West Africa, with 3,800 dead in just a
matter of months and the first cases appearing in Europe at the U.S.
The
possibility that Isis, also known as Islamic State and Isil, could make
the situation far worse is one that should be taken very seriously,
another expert said.
In
the May 2013 issue of the journal Global Policy, Amanda Teckman, author
of the paper The Bioterrorist Threat Of Ebola In East Africa And
Implications For Global Health And Security concluded: 'The threat of an
Ebola bioterrorist attack in East Africa is a global health and
security concern, and should not be ignored,' Forbes reported.
Far
from being lone voices on this theory, concern in America about Ebola
being used as a bioweapon was in fact a catalyst for its $5.6billion
Project Bioshield, according to a source familiar with the matter, who
did not wish to be named.
The virus is running rampant in West
Africa, with 3,800 dead in just a matter of months and the first cases
appearing in Europe at the U.S
Signed
off by President George W. Bush in 2004, it ensures generous funding
for scientists researching bioweapon counter-measures, as well as
accelerating research against chemical, radiological and nuclear agents.
It also grants the U.S government the power to stockpile huge quantities of medical countermeasures.
However,
Jennifer Cole, Senior Research Fellow, Resilience & Emergency
Management, at the Royal United Services Institute, while acknowledging
that Isis using Ebola as a weapon isn't out of the question, says that
now would not be the best time to employ this strategy.
She told MailOnline: 'Everyone's looking out for signs of Ebola at the moment so they'd be very unlikely to get away with it.
'The
other issue with Ebola is that it's very hard to control. The militants
could just end up wiping themselves out before they've had the chance
to pass it on.
'For a suicide attack, strapping sticks of dynamite to your chest is far more effective.'
Middle East security expert Andreas Krieg, from King’s College London's Department of Defence Studies, echoed Cole's scepticism.
He
said: 'It is certainly possible for Isis to use the Ebola virus as it
is a cheap and accessible source in West Africa. However, considering
the WHO’s and international community’s effort to contain the spread of
the virus it will be increasingly difficult to "export" the virus via
air transport to other parts of the world. It would require a lot of
effort and have a low chance of success.'
He
added: 'Isis is not currently focusing on the West. At the moment Isis’
focus is on expanding its territory and influence in Syria and Iraq. It
is bogged down there. Within this context I do not see any place for
Ebola as a bio-weapon to be used against any of the opponents. It would
be too risky as they would likely infect their own fighters and people
living in their territory.'
Professor
Glees added: 'It would be logistically very difficult to get an IS
fighter to West Africa, come into contact with Ebola, wait to find out
if they were infected, then leg it to London.'
The
first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. died on Wednesday despite
intense but delayed treatment, and the government announced it was
expanding airport examinations to guard against the spread of the deadly
disease.
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