Chemical attack at IU unlikely

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, and the U.S.-led retaliation, the renewed threat of terrorist action has caused concern across the country. \nLeaks from top government officials say further terrorist response is almost guaranteed, the Associated Press reported Monday. And the al-Qaeda, the Islamic group led by Osama Bin Laden, has promised nothing less in a statement to the media Wednesday.\nThreatened, citizens are shelling out $25 for gas masks, and Web sites selling Israeli gas masks warn that "the threat of a biochemical is very real."\nIn Bloomington, the fear of a biochemical attack is also rising.\nBloomington's Army/Navy Store sold all 10 gas masks in its stock for $16.95 the week following the Sept. 11 attack, an employee said.\nIs the national bioterrorism scare relevant to Bloomington? With three reported cases of anthrax already in Florida, according to CNN.com, is it possible a similar biological disaster can happen here? Should students be concerned?\nA IU criminal justice professor can't rule out anything -- even biological warfare in an Indiana city, hours away from a major economic center.\n"Any place is a potential target," said Bill Head, professor of criminal justice. "Terrorists will pick any target they think will throw things into disruption and disarray. And any time you have a place with 40,000 people or so, and there's media attention, it's a potential target."\nBut John Huffman, an IU senior scientist, said creating chemicals capable of leveling the Bloomington campus would be very difficult for terrorists operating in the United States, not because of lack of funding rather the likelihood of detection by U.S. authorities.\n"It would take a large effort to set up large synthetic operations without detection," he said. "Police are now having problems with meth labs, but they are being busted quite frequently and they probably have a pretty good idea where the others are. \n"Plus, the chemicals in meth are pretty common. The materials terrorists would need for an attack would be much harder to purchase and not get noticed."\nHuffman said chemical attacks by air are difficult to carry out because they depend mainly on wind direction. Terrorists would be unlikely to target Bloomington, because a sudden change in wind direction would cause the expensive chemical agents to miss their target and hit vacant farmlands.\nHuffman also said a chemical attack on Bloomington's water supply would also be difficult. Agents dumped into Lake Monroe, Bloomington's water supply, would be too diluted to pose any threat.\nHuffman said terrorists would most likely target facilities with inherently dangerous chemicals, of which there are not many in this area.\n Margaret Joseph, spokesperson for the Indiana State Department of Health, said a biological attack could come in the form of any disease contractible by humans, such as smallpox and anthrax, but is doubtful these sort of attacks would happen at IU.\n"I don't believe we are at any higher risk than any other place in the world," she said. "Hoosiers are at a higher risk from smoking, bad eating habits and no exercise."\nJoseph warned that gas masks are not effective against biological attacks but only chemical attacks, and can actually be harmful to a person with breathing or heart problems.\nIf an attack happens, the State Health Department will do tests in its lab facility in Indianapolis to determine what kind of disease people are infected with. Anthrax, a bacteria, can be stopped if detected in the first few days and would be treated with antibiotics. In the case of a smallpox outbreak, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta would respond with 15 million vaccinations to stop the spread of the disease, Joseph said.\nStudents can take several steps to protect themselves in the case of a biochemical attack, Joseph said: making a disaster plan which included obtaining a three-day supply of non-perishable food, extra clothing, sleeping bags, a first-aid kit including prescription medications, a flashlight and a battery powered radio.\nShe said if a biochemical attack occurs, students should immediately go indoors and listen to the media instructions.\nJoseph said attacks like these are unlikely in Indiana.\n"Many nations in the past have investigated the possibilities of a biological attack, but no one has succeeded," Joseph said. "That is because it is very complicated. It would be more complicated than what we saw Sept. 11. We have no evidence that any terrorist group has these capabilities"