Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[ergo sum]

Frances Boyle.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0301/S00014.htm
In accordance with President Nixon’s order, the total destruction of antipersonnel biological agents and munitions was completed by May of 1972. [1] It is believed, however, that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) continued to research biological weapons in spite of the President’s order.
The US signed on to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) on 10 April 1972. [2] The BTWC entered into force on 26 March 1975. This convention prohibits the research, development and testing of biological weapons, agents and compounds. The convention has an exception for prophylactic and defensive purposes. There remained, however, a Chemical and Biological Warfare unit lurking in the Pentagon, starved for funds and wanting to come back to life.
The Reagan Administration
The administration of President Ronald Reagan came to power in 1980. The Reagan administration took the position that the US was going to exploit its superior technology with regard to all types of weapons. This also included the new technologies of gene splicing and genetic engineering. Massive amounts of money, hundreds of millions of dollars, were poured into researching and developing what were claimed to be “defensive” biological agents.