Secretary Forrestal Issues Statement on Biological Warfare Potentialities
Item Details
Title
Secretary Forrestal Issues Statement on Biological Warfare Potentialities
Topics
Secretary of Defense James Forrestal gave this public statement on BW to assuage sensationalization after the Merck report.
Date
1949
Conclusions
Large-scale BW has never been used by any nation, but research indicates it's a theoretical possibility. BW cannot be compared to atomic warfare because it is so different, but effects are far less sensational than what the media describes.
Files
Source
Forrestal, J. Secretary Forrestal Issues Statement on Biological Warfare Potentialities. National Military Establishment Office Secretary of Defense. March 12, 1949.
Citation
“Secretary Forrestal Issues Statement on Biological Warfare Potentialities,” Collection of Biothreat Risk Assessments (COBRA), accessed January 15, 2025, https://cobrabiosecurity.org/items/show/386.