Army Issues New Regulations on “Biological Surety”
U.S. Army personnel who act in an aggressive or threatening manner towards other people would be denied access to toxic or lethal biological agents under newly revised regulations (pdf) that were issued by the Army last week.
Other potentially disqualifying personality traits include: “arrogance, inflexibility, suspiciousness, hostility,… and extreme moods or mood swings,” according to the new regulations. See “Biological Surety,” Army Regulation 50-1, 28 July 2008.
The late Fort Detrick scientist Dr. Bruce E. Ivins retained his security clearance and his laboratory access through July 10, the Washington Post reported today, despite allegations of erratic behavior and the fact that he was under FBI suspicion in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks. The credibility of some of those allegations regarding Ivins’ behavior, however, is itself open to question, writes Glenn Greenwald in Salon today.
DNA synthesis and export controls remain the primary regulatory safeguards against de novo production of harmful biological agents, yet governance frameworks lack the situational awareness and enforcement capacity to keep pace with rapidly falling technical barriers.
Called today to speak on behalf of U.S. science and technology, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist, educator, strategist, policy-maker, and science communicator, will provide constructive, nonpartisan feedback to the House Committee’s hearing “American Global Competitiveness at 250: Legislative Proposals to Secure U.S. Technology Leadership.”
“Federal data and access to it is not a partisan issue. It is a people issue. Our country cannot achieve greatness without access to the data that measure what we value, who we are, and where we’re heading.”
The United States’ biosecurity governance system is structurally incapable of detecting and responding to certain classes of threats. U.S. biosecurity tools have not kept pace with technological advancements or a changing threat landscape.