Threat to Agroterrorism:
Economics of Bioterrorism

Mark G. Polyak

Bioterrorism and its potential as an instrument of terrorist groups have dominated the minds of Americans since the anthrax attacks in the autumn of 2001. These attacks exacerbated the traumatic shock of 9/11 and resurrected fears that terrorists might deploy sophisticated biological weapons in order to wreak societal havoc. In the process, these weapons might kill or injure thousands of people and severely compromise our livestock, food chain, and water supplies.

Particularly worrisome, from an economic perspective, is a particular type of bioterrorism: agricultural terrorism. Agroterrorism is defined as attacks against livestock and crops, but this article will focus on livestock-targeted attacks, which, if successful, present a multibillion dollar challenge to the economy of the United States. Agroterrorism is a relatively affordable way for a terrorist group to undercut a nation's economy, undermine its political system, cause nationwide panic, and generate enormous publicity for the organization or individual responsible for the attack.

Mark G. Polyak is Senior Analyst in the Division of Integrated Biodefense, Imaging Science and Information Systems Center, Georgetown University Medical Center.