hankyoreh

July 24. (by Shin So-young

The US Department Defense has confirmed inadvertent shipments of live anthrax to seven different countries over the past ten years, including South Korea.

The department also said it had not found the root cause behind the live anthrax shipments. With USFK stating plans to continue with its biological defense program in South Korea, the issue is expected to remain a source of continued controversy.

On July 23, the US Department of Defense released a report titled “Inadvertent Shipment of Live Bacillus anthracis Spores by DOD,” which was compiled by the Committee for Comprehensive Review of DoD Laboratory Procedures, Processes, and Protocols Associated with Inactivating Bacillus anthracis Spores.

The report lists incidents in which live anthrax was sent from the Pentagon’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah to 86 laboratories in seven countries - Japan, Great Britain, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Germany - over the past ten years.

The report describes the shipments as a “serious breach of regulations,” but also notes that no specific reason was identified for why the anthrax was shipped in its live state.

“Two additional factors specific to DPG [Dugway Proving Ground], which may have contributed to the presence of live BA [Bacillus anthracis] in inactivated samples, include low sampling volume for viability testing and a very short time period between the completed irradiation cycle and start of the viability testing,” the report offers as an assessment of the circumstances.

While answering questions from reporters after the report’s release, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall called the shipment of live samples “absolutely inexcusable.”

“It went to an Air Force base in Korea to a laboratory on that base for testing there, and I don't think it ever went and would have gone anywhere else [in Korea],” said Kendall of a shipment to Osan Air Base earlier this year.

When asked about plans to continue anthrax shipments to South Korea, Kendall said, “Of right now, there’s no intent to do that.”

“I can't speculate about what would happen in the future,” he added, indicating a possibility the shipments may continue.

USFK has also stated plans to continue with its biological defense programs, including the Joint United States Forces Korea Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition (JUPITR) program, contingent on discussions with South Korean authorities. In a press release issued after the Defense Department announcement on July 24, USFK Commander Curtis Scaparrotti wrote, “[South Korea-US] Alliance biological defense programs are designed to enhance Alliance readiness and defensive capabilities in the face of a very real and significant biological threat.”

“The establishment of the ROK-US Alliance’s Biological Defense Cooperation Joint Working Group will ensure continued cooperation on biological defense programs,” he added.

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense also issued a press release on July 24, in which it said the South Korea-US joint working group launched July 11 to investigate the USFK anthrax shipment would be working with civilian experts to “visit USFK’s Osan Air Base as soon as possible for a thorough examination of the anthrax shipment incident.”

“USFK has said this anthrax shipment was the first, but we are planning to investigate what has occurred in the past,” a ministry official said. “There will be no restrictions on the investigation focus.”

But some are arguing that the decision to investigate the scene more than two months after the shipment comes too late - especially with USFK announcing its plans to continue on with the biological defense program.

“We need a thorough investigation on whether any other high-risk biological and chemical warfare preparation materials besides anthrax were brought here before,” said Kim Hyeong-seong, who heads the policy office for the Korean Federation of Medical Activist Groups for Health Rights.

“The fact that the US couldn’t identify the cause of the incident means it can’t develop preventive measures against future ones,” Kim added.

“We cannot accept the USFK continuing to conduct its biological defense program in South Korea when it can’t guarantee safety.”

By Kim Ji-hoon, staff reporter

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