BIOLOGICAL WAR-FEAR

Massive quarantine if terror strikes UK  

Report: Armed officers to seal off cities, prevent escape to stop 
infection spread  

Posted: December 29, 2002  3:23 p.m. Eastern

(c) 2002 WorldNetDaily.com  

Authorities in Britain look to seal off London and other major cities 
with armed units in the event of a biological or chemical attack by 
terrorists.  

Government officials confirm the quarantine plan which would place 
"emergency cordons" across metropolitan areas to prevent the spread 
of infection, and possibly coordinate forced evacuations.  

Specially trained units, posted at train stations and highway 
intersections, would be empowered to deal with panic or looting, 
the Sunday Times reported.  

"Cordons around hazardous areas would be so heavily manned with 
inoculated personnel wearing nuclear, biological and chemical 
suits that the use of extreme force would be limited," the newspaper 
said.  

Defense officials say a 7,000-strong civil contingency reaction force 
would have the option of carrying arms. Drawn from military reserve 
forces, primarily the Territorial Army, 500-strong forces would be 
deployed at 14 centers across the UK.  

Professor Michael Langman, of the joint vaccinations and immunization 
committee which advises on biological threats, warned hysteria could 
spread the impact of a chemical or biological attack.  

"There will certainly be some panic, with people jumping into their 
cars with their families to try to flee the city and avoid contamination, 
but they would be stopped," he told the Times.  

The newspaper said a new civil emergency planning group, called 
London Resilience, was drawing up contingency plans on the 
assumption that a wide area of the capital could be devastated 
by a chemical, biological, nuclear or "dirty bomb" attack.  

A "mass fatalities working group" has recommended that mobile 
mortuaries be set up within hours of an attack, and that police 
turn streets into one-way evacuation routes. The Thames River would 
also be used to move people away from an attack zone.  

London will test its responsiveness to attack in the new year, the 
Cabinet Office confirmed. The exercise will involve police, other 
emergency services and hospitals. It's designed to ensure new systems 
put in place in the wake of Sept. 11 could cope with a real strike.  

"It makes sense to take all possible precautions against the spread of 
deadly infections but there will always be a time gap between infection 
and the first symptoms developing, which could mean movement has 
already occurred," said shadow health secretary Liam Fox.  

"Therefore, it makes sense to allow immunization of the public when 
vaccines become available," he said. "As stocks increase, the public 
should be allowed to opt for immunization at their own convenience as 
that will allow improved protection."  

Critics say the "draconian" measures could only be justified if 
those who might find themselves inside a cordon knew they were 
being treated properly.  

"Ministers will have to explain where the resources for these 
emergency units are coming from," said Edward Davey of Britain's 
Liberal Democrat Party. "The current bargain basement approach 
to civil-defense measures will not stretch to these plans. The 
public must be reassured that people who are cordoned off will 
get the help they need.

"These draconian new laws could only be acceptable if the proper  
decontamination and recovery services are guaranteed."

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Source: World Net Daily
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30225

Cheers, Steve..

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