AIDS

This is transcribed from a hearing in 1969 for the fiscal year of 1970 between
Congressman Sikes, Florida and Dr MacArthur, micro-biologist.


For reference, see:


				HEARINGS
	        		before a
		SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
			 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
			  NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS
			     FIRST SESSION

The topic is Synthetic Biological Agents

   There are two things about the biological agent field I would like to 
mention.  One is the possibility of technological surprise.  Molecular 
biology is a field that is advancing very rapidly, and eminent biologists 
believe that within a period of 5 to 10 years it would be possible to produce 
a synthetic biological agent, an agent that does not naturally exist and for
which no natural immunity could have been acquired.  

  Mr.  Sikes:	  Are we doing any work in that field?
  Dr. MacArthur:  We are not.
  Mr. Sikes:	  Why not?  Lack of money or lack of interest?
  Dr. MacArthur:  Certainly not lack of interest.
  Mr. Sikes:	  Would you provide for our records information on what would 
		  be required, what the advantages of such a program would be,
		  the time and the cost involved?
  Dr. MacArthur:  We will be very happy to.
  (The information follows:)

  The dramatic progress being made in the field of molecular biology led us to
investigate the relevance of this field of science to biological warfare.  A 
small group of experts considered this matter and provided the following 
obser-vations:

  	1.  All biological agents up to the present time are representatives of
naturally occurring disease, and are thus known by scientists throughout the 
world.  They are easily available to qualified scientists for research, either
for offensive or defensive purposes.  
	
	2.  Within the next 5 to 10 years, it would probably be possible to 
make a new infective microorganism which could differ in certain important 
aspects from any known disease-causing organisius.  Most important of these is
that it might be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon
which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infectious disease.  

	3.  A research program to explore the feasibility of this could be 
completed approximately 5 years at a total cost of $10 million.  

	4.  It would be very difficult to establish such a program.  Molecular
biology is a relatively new science.  There are not many highly competent
scientists in the field, almost all are in university laboratories, and they 
are generally adequately supported from sources other than DOD.  However, it
was considered possible to initiate an adequate program through the National 
Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC).  The matter was 
discussed with the NAS-NRC, and tentative plans were madeto initiate the 
program.  However, decreasing funds in CB, growing criticism of the CB program,
and our reluctance to involve the NAS-NRC, in such a controversial endeavor 
have led us to postpone it for the past 2 years.  It is highly controversial 
issue, and there are many who believe such research should not be undertaken 
lest it lead to yet another method of massive killing of large populations.
On the other hand, without the sure scientific knowledge that such a weapon
is possible, and an understanding of the ways it could be done, there is 
little that can be done to devise defensive measures should an enemy develop 
it.  There is little doubt that this is an important area of potential military
technological inferiority in which there is no adequate research program.