Islamic State 'Want To Use Bubonic Plague As A Weapon Of War'

Didge wrote:Islamic State militants are hoping to weaponise bubonic plague to use against “unbelievers," it has been reported.

Documents found on a "laptop of doom" apparently belonging to an IS fighter seemed to show that the group were searching for the weapons of mass destruction.

Searches for chemical weapons included instructions on how to weaponise the bubonic plague, also know as the Black Death, which caused around 30 million deaths in the 14th century.

The laptop contained a 19-page document with the details, explaining that “the advantage of biological weapons is that they do not cost a lot of money, while the human casualties can be huge.”

It chillingly explains that it would be most effective to “use small grenades with the virus, and throw them in closed areas like metros, soccer stadiums, or entertainment centers” near air-conditioning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/30/islamic-state-bubonic-plague-chemical-weapons_n_5741050.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

bad reporting again...bubonic plague is a bacterium...NOT a virus

NOW...BUBONIC plague would be a bad choice...since it requires a vector...namely the flea, to spread, However...its close cousin PNEUMONIC plague does not...its spread by coughs and sneezes....remember "ring a ring o' rosies" ?? Its the same bug, just spread differently.

weaponising any bacterium or virus isnt easy, nor, in general is it easy to grow "industrial quantities" of your chosen pet, however we should not dismiss this as a non existant threat.

If IS were to use one of these here...I shudder to think of the consequences.....are you ready for anarchy????

victorisnotamused wrote:

Didge wrote:Islamic State militants are hoping to weaponise bubonic plague to use against “unbelievers," it has been reported.

Documents found on a "laptop of doom" apparently belonging to an IS fighter seemed to show that the group were searching for the weapons of mass destruction.

Searches for chemical weapons included instructions on how to weaponise the bubonic plague, also know as the Black Death, which caused around 30 million deaths in the 14th century.

The laptop contained a 19-page document with the details, explaining that “the advantage of biological weapons is that they do not cost a lot of money, while the human casualties can be huge.”

It chillingly explains that it would be most effective to “use small grenades with the virus, and throw them in closed areas like metros, soccer stadiums, or entertainment centers” near air-conditioning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/30/islamic-state-bubonic-plague-chemical-weapons_n_5741050.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

bad reporting again...bubonic plague is a bacterium...NOT a virus

NOW...BUBONIC plague would be a bad choice...since it requires a vector...namely the flea, to spread, However...its close cousin PNEUMONIC plague does not...its spread by coughs and sneezes....remember "ring a ring o' rosies" ?? Its the same bug, just spread differently.

weaponising any bacterium or virus isnt easy, nor, in general is it easy to grow "industrial quantities" of your chosen pet, however we should not dismiss this as a non existant threat.

If IS were to use one of these here...I shudder to think of the consequences.....are you ready for anarchy????

Raggamuffin wrote:It wouldn't have quite the same effect these days as it can be treated with antibiotics.

victorisnotamused wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:It wouldn't have quite the same effect these days as it can be treated with antibiotics.

can it dear ragga......ever heard of resistance. who's to say they havnt got hold of a resistabnt strain????
Plus, create multiple casualties over several areas and the health system will grind to a halt, overwhelmed....this is hospitalisation REQUIRED, not something you can just toddle off to your GP with.  
"I say old chap. I appear to have pneumonic plague".....Nah...dont work like that.....

worse still is the possibility they could have smallpox....THEN what...there isnt enough vaccine available and with a 6 week production delay (let alone the inevitable political point scoring game) AT LEAST the results will be terrible....

Raggamuffin wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:

can it dear ragga......ever heard of resistance. who's to say they havnt got hold of a resistabnt strain????
Plus, create multiple casualties over several areas and the health system will grind to a halt, overwhelmed....this is hospitalisation REQUIRED, not something you can just toddle off to your GP with.  
"I say old chap. I appear to have pneumonic plague".....Nah...dont work like that.....

worse still is the possibility they could have smallpox....THEN what...there isnt enough vaccine available and with a 6 week production delay (let alone the inevitable political point scoring game) AT LEAST the results will be terrible....

They're a bunch of thugs so I doubt they have the intelligence to create a resistant strain of bubonic plague, or indeed any kind of biological weapon.

victorisnotamused wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

They're a bunch of thugs so I doubt they have the intelligence to create a resistant strain of bubonic plague, or indeed any kind of biological weapon.

Dont EVER, whatever else you do, underestimate your enemy, the grunts may be a thick as two short planks, i mean they'd have to be, but the guys "at the top" are far from stupid
oh and you dont need to "create" a resistant strain, there are several about already

Raggamuffin wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:

Dont EVER, whatever else you do, underestimate your enemy, the grunts may be a thick as two short planks, i mean they'd have to be, but the guys "at the top" are far from stupid
oh and you dont need to "create" a resistant strain, there are several about already

They'd all catch it themselves anyway ...

victorisnotamused wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

They'd all catch it themselves anyway ...

why?

Raggamuffin wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:
why?

Because once it's in the population it would be hard for them to avoid it.

victorisnotamused wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Because once it's in the population it would be hard for them to avoid it.

oh ragga...you know so little......

If YOU have posession of the bug YOU can have a vaccine made for it..if you have the skills to weaponise a bug you can make a vaccine for it (assuming a vaccine is possible, which for plague it is)
secondly the "bosses" are on about using it HERE.....THEY are over there...
spread would be reasonably "limited" but onec contaminated an area would require billions to clear it....you would have to kill almost every rat ...you do know that in general, you are never much more than 10 foot from a rat when in town? pets would require constant de-fleaing or destruction..that would be REALLY POPULAR WOULDNT IT?????
and many would die...It wouldnt go wildly epidemic, but it would still be a terrible thing

with little risk to the "big guys at the top"

they grunts dont matter and they dont care that they dont matter. NOr do the leaders care that many of the victims would be Muslims, since they consider all westernised Muslims to be "heretics".......

Raggamuffin wrote:

victorisnotamused wrote:

oh ragga...you know so little......

If YOU have posession of the bug YOU can have a vaccine made for it..if you have the skills to weaponise a bug you can make a vaccine for it (assuming a vaccine is possible, which for plague it is)
secondly the "bosses" are on about using it HERE.....THEY are over there...
spread would be reasonably "limited" but onec contaminated an area would require billions to clear it....you would have to kill almost every rat ...you do know that in general, you are never much more than 10 foot from a rat when in town? pets would require constant de-fleaing or destruction..that would be REALLY POPULAR WOULDNT IT?????
and many would die...It wouldnt go wildly epidemic, but it would still be a terrible thing

with little risk to the "big guys at the top"

they grunts dont matter and they dont care that they dont matter. NOr do the leaders care that many of the victims would be Muslims, since they consider all westernised Muslims to be "heretics".......

Rats? Fleas? I thought they were going to introduce it directly into the human population. I think you're crediting them with too much intelligence really.