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BIO SUITS
PROTECTION
AGAINST AGENTSThere are basically two ways to guard oneself from these agents. Prevention, and to a small extent, physical protection. Prevention may take many forms. In the case of chemical and biological warfare, international disarmament treaties and regular inspection by neutral parties could very well deter the production and proliferation of such weapons.
For instance, the presence of international treaties like the Geneva Protocol, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) have discouraged countries from developing offensive biological and chemical weapons programs. More importantly, maintaining intelligence assets may help to pinpoint potential threats and enable preventive measures to be taken before the situation gets out of hand.
For example, in 1998, Afghan spies working for the US were inserted into Bin Laden's terrorist cell. Using the information garnered by these brave undercover agents, along with soil samples and satellite readouts, the US was able to determine the factory producing the bacteriological agents and US warships launched a barrage of cruise missiles at the target. The bombing is believed to have set back Bin Laden's biological warfare capability by at least two years.
Unfortunately, a few of the undercover agents were killed in the bombing and so the Afghans were pretty pissed with the CIA. Mass vaccination programs may provide substantial protection against naturally occurring agents such as Anthrax but such programs offer almost no protection against mutated or genetically altered strains of the agent. Yet another form of protection is the use of protective gear.
However, donning masks and special clothing has proved unbearable for many a soldier, especially in hot countries like Iraq, where scientists reported extreme discomfort when made to wear gas masks for more than two hours at a time. However, as we shall see in the later chapters, a good number of protective suits now come equipped with personal air conditioners.
Furthermore, a variety of handheld devices, such as the Improved Chemical Agent Monitor to warn soldiers of an impending chemical attack. The protective suits that will be briefly covered in this website are: Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology Self Contained Toxic Environment protective Outfit