Agroterrorism
Agroterrorism (English agro-terrorism or agri-terrorism ) is a terrorist tactic . The Federal Emergency Management Agency , a US federal government crisis coordination agency , defines agroterrorism as "the willful spread of disease through livestock ."
The only incident of this kind to date was committed by a sect in 1984 when it poisoned the lettuce stocks of several restaurants in Oregon . Tommy Thompson , the United States Secretary of Health, who resigned in 2004 , warned in his farewell speech about the major security risks of agroterrorism. The fears of the federal government of the USA are primarily directed towards the low cost and the potentially devastating health, direct and economic damage that an attack on agriculture could have.
See also
Web links
- Cox, Simon: US food supply 'vulnerable to attack' , BBC Online , 22 August 2006
- Irlenkaeuser, Jan: Agroterrorism using the example of animal diseases , in: Austrian Military Journal , Edition 2/2007
- Monke, Jim: Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness (PDF; 330 kB) - Study for the US Congress on the risks and probabilities of agroterrorism (English)
- Notes from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture on the subject, Spring 2003 (English; PDF file; 118 kB)
- Private-sector news portal on the subject (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ "Deliberately spreading diseases through livestock is also referred to as agro-terrorism.", In: Risk Assessment - A How-To Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings ( Memento of October 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), January 2005. Accessed May 19, 2008.
- ↑ "Agriterrorism is the malicious use of plant or animal pathogens to cause devastating disease in the agricultural sector. It may also take the form of hoaxes and threats intended to create public fear of such events. ", In: Washington Statewide Homeland Security Strategic Plan 2006 - 2011 ( Memento of May 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 1.8 MB ). Accessed May 19, 2008.