Committee on bioterrorism ‘inactive for year’

AN expert committee established by the Government to prepare an action plan in the event of a bioterrorist attack has not met for over a year, despite ongoing doubts about the State’s ability to deal with an outbreak of a highly infectious disease like smallpox.

One member of the committee, which was established shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US in 2001, said its failure to hold a meeting since October 29, 2003 was “scandalous.”

“There has been no action at all. I know that other members are also furious about this delay,” said the committee member. “We are not truly prepared. We would experience serious difficulties in our readiness to deal with such an incident if it occurred today.”