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| Terror Networks |
| Famed Epidemiologists Bill and Melinda Gates: Tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism |
| 2017-02-19 |
| [Guardian] A chilling warning that tens of millions of people could be killed by bio-terrorism was delivered at the Munich security conference by the world’s richest man, Bill Gates Gates, who has spent much of the last 20 years funding a global health campaign, said: "We ignore the link between health security and international security at our peril." Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft who has spent billions in a philanthropic drive to improve health worldwide, said: "The next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus ... or a super contagious and deadly strain of the flu." US and UK intelligence agencies have said that Islamic State has been trying to develop biological weapons at its bases in Syria and Iraq. However, they have played down the threat, saying that the terrorists would need people with the necessary skills, good laboratories and a relatively calm environment free from the confusion and chaos of conflict zones. Yet other security specialists say the threat from bio-terrorism has become more realistic over the past decade, particularly the past five years, with changes in molecular biology that make development of biological weapons more accessible. Gates, making his first appearance at the Munich security conference on Saturday, said: "Whether it occurs by a quirk of nature or at the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologists say a fast-moving airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less than a year. And they say there is a reasonable probability the world will experience such an outbreak in the next 10 to 15 years." |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #13 H/T Instapundit - “If anyone should know about the devastating effects of viruses, it would be the founder of Microsoft.” |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-02-19 19:44 |
| #12 The Sturgeon General went deep. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2017-02-19 19:01 |
| #11 If it isn't nukes, it's bugs and viruses. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2017-02-19 14:31 |
| #10 I suppose 'point-n-click' mouse electrocutions don't count. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-02-19 10:55 |
| #9 US and UK intelligence agencies have said that Islamic State has been trying to develop biological weapons at its bases in Syria and Iraq. However, they have played down the threat, saying that the terrorists would need people with the necessary skills, good laboratories and a relatively calm environment free from the confusion and chaos of conflict zones. "Baby Milk Factory™" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2017-02-19 10:25 |
| #8 "The next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus ... This reads like a fictional account of such an epidemic by Terry Hayes entitled "I Am Pilgrim." Lengthy, but an exciting read. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2017-02-19 10:11 |
| #7 #5 Gates proposal to tax robots is seriously idiotic. If you are going to tax robots, then robots should be able to vote. No Taxation Without Representation |
| Posted by: SteveS 2017-02-19 09:10 |
| #6 Might as well tax steam engines Ask a trucker how much tax he/she paid for on their rig, annual licensing, not to mention the ones on his fuel and income. Not to mention, point of entry (all commercial vehicles take the next right). |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-02-19 08:09 |
| #5 Gates proposal to tax robots is seriously idiotic. Might as well tax steam engines which were probably the biggest destroyer of jobs in the modern age. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2017-02-19 05:14 |
| #4 "We ignore the link between health security and |
| Posted by: Bov Flimbers 2017-02-19 04:31 |
| #3 "towards such bullshit partisan politics like guns, consumption of salt, etc." Isn't that the job of the Surgeon General? Whatever became of the Surgeon General anyway? I haven't heard or read anything about or from the Surgeon General for quite a few years. All I know is that the current Surgeon General is Dr, Vivek Murthy and not much else. |
| Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance 2017-02-19 04:02 |
| #2 Gates sucks... But even the United States own Center for Disease Control has lost focus BADLY on its own mission. A significant amount of their focus had been misdirected away from "Disease Control" and instead towards such bullshit partisan politics like guns, consumption of salt, etc. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2017-02-19 01:09 |
| #1 all it would take is some ebola-infected blood in the zam zam well on day 1 of hajj hundreds of millions would die as the pilgrims fly home. muslims would make up the bulk of the body count because their families wash the bodies of the dead the speed of transmission would overwhelm innoculation supplies which would be rationed to health workers. |
| Posted by: anon1 2017-02-19 00:17 |