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“The proliferation of biological weapons has been a matter of great international concern. Considered as weapons of mass destruction—like nuclear and chemical weapons—biological weapons have proven difficult to control. Despite efforts such as those taken by the 125-member Biological Weapons Convention, the development of these weapons continues to increase. Because of these concerns, Senator Gore (D-TN) requested GAO to assess the effectiveness of efforts by the United States and the international community to curb the development of biological weapons. Specifically, this report addresses (1) the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons Convention, as well as efforts to strengthen it and (2) the effectiveness of U.S. and multilateral export controls in the proliferation of biological weapons.”

“On several occasions over the past half-century, the U.S. government has had to address the issue of biological weapons use. In two of those instances, during the Korean War and in Cuba repeatedly since the 1960s, the United States itself was the target of allegations of having used biological weapons. This chapter begins by discussing the existing legal basis for U.S. efforts to attribute the use of biological weapons. It then turns to each of the cases noted above, focusing in particular on how the United States investigated the allegations, including the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. approach to each. It concludes by considering lessons from these experiences for future efforts to identify, characterize, and attribute the use of biological weapons.”
By Elisa D. Harris