Washington, D.C.
The CIA warned last week that terrorists were more likely to use biological weapons than nuclear ones to cause mass destruction in the next 15 years. In an exercise in Washington, D.C., a dozen U.S. and European diplomats found that they were powerless to stop the spread of smallpox after fictional terrorists linked to al Qaida unleashed the highly contagious disease in New York and four European cities. While the diplomats bickered over whether to close schools and borders and how to use limited stocks of vaccine, the scourge spread quickly, and threatened to claim 660,000 victims. “Nobody is ready,” said Jerzy Buzek, a former prime minister of Poland, who participated in the exercise.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 19, 2025Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - marking territory, living under a rock, and more
-
Mickey 17: 'charming space oddity' that's a 'sparky one-off'The Week Recommends 'Remarkable' Robert Pattinson stars in Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi comedy
-
EastEnders at 40: are soaps still relevant?Talking Point Albert Square's residents are celebrating, but falling viewer figures have fans worried the soap bubble has burst
