OU pioneered biological warfare, terrorists may reap the future benefits

In the 1960s the University of Oklahoma zoology department had a germ warfare research contract with the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground. The project was concerned with the possibility of using migrating birds as a tactic for spreading tularemia within the Soviet Union. In a recent CNN interview, biowarfare expert Col. Randall Larsen mentioned tularemia as a possible agent by which America could be attacked at this time.

Seymour Hersh, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his expose of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam war, wrote about the OU project in his book Chemical and Biological Warfare: America's Hidden Arsenal (Indianapolis: Bobb-s-Merrill, 1968). He also discussed details of this research in the December 1969 issue of Ramparts.

Additionally, Richard McCarthy wrote about the OU germ warfare endeavor in his book The Ultimate Folly (New York: Knopf, 1969). The Soviets were also involved in germ warfare development. At this time I am wondering to what extent research of this nature conducted within the Cold War atmosphere has stimulated other nations friendly to Islamic terrorists to undertake germ warfare projects.

In other words, with the heightened atmosphere of concern about biological attacks by terrorists, are we now seeing our chickens coming home to roost? From the standpoint of current defense needs, should health departments be stepping up their monitoring of migratory birds?


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