Interpol chiefs warn of bioterror attack risk

The heads of the international police organisation Interpol today warned that a bioterrorist attack is not a case of “if” but “when,” citing threats by the al-Qaida network to use biological weapons to kill millions of people.

South African police chief Jackie Selebi, president of Interpol, said there was a need for much more global cooperation to reduce the threat.

“Interpol believes the risks of bioterrorism are so momentous that the police and the public health communities must break down the barriers preventing close collaboration,” said Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble.

Interpol is holding a three-day bioterrorism workshop for African law enforcement chiefs.