OnSeptember11,2001,theUnitedStatesofAmericaisattacked.

Nontraditionalforces
useunconventionalweapons.September18,2001oneweekaftertheseattackslettersare
1

receivedaroundthecountrycontaininganthraxspores,killing5andinfecting17others The
anthraxmailingscomingfromasuspecteddomesticterrorist.

Theeconomiclossisestimatedat$3.3trilliondollars fortheattacksof9/11.Thatday
changedthewayAmericathinks,andtheexpectationofanattackonthefoodsupplybecame
real.In2002U.S.NavySealsinOperationEnduringFreedomattackedsomecavesin
easternAfghanistan,whattheyfoundwouldcoinatermAgroterrorism.Agroterrorismis
definedasthedeliberateintroductionofananimalorplantdiseasewiththegoalofgenerating
fear,causingeconomiclosses,and/orunderminingstability.Thecaveheldhundredsof
documentsconcerningattacksontheAmericanfoodsupply.Thesedocumentsweredetailed
indeadlyplantandanimalpathogens,designedtocauseeconomicandsocialdevastation.
WhilenotanewformofwarfareitisamajorconcernofHomelandSecurityandtheFederal
BureauofInvestigationduetoadvancesinscienceandtechnology,thatplantandanimal
pathogenswillbemutatedanddispersedwithintheUnitedStates.

TheUnitedStateshasfarmsspreadacrossthecountry,theseincludecropfieldsandlarge
expansesforlivestock.Duetonumberandsizeoftheseareas,thereisalackofsecurityon
thesefields.Theuseofcropdusterssprayingaerosolsovercropsisacommonsight,inthe
worldweliveintodaydronesarenotanuncommoneither.Dronescanbesmall,silent,and

1ANewKindofWar:AreWePreparedforAgroterrorism?AMonographbyMAJGrantL.MorrisU.S.ArmySchoolofAdvancedMilitaryStudiesUnitedStatesArmyCommandandGeneralStaff
CollegeFortLeavenworth,KansasAY0607

2http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/us/sept11reckoning/costgraphic.html?_r=0

equippedforsmallloads.Ifdroneswereemployedtospraybiologicalagentsoversectorsof
ouragriculturalareas,itcouldcauseadeathblowtotheagriculturalindustry.

FairWeatherAcresFarminCromwellisasusceptibletargetifthereweretobeaterrorist
attack.Atthisfarmthereisaccesstoitfromtwodirectionsaprivateroadandthe
ConnecticutRiver.Therewastheuseofremotecontrolledairplanesoverthefields,which
didnotconcerntheowner.Someonewiththewrongintentionscouldveryeasilydestroythe
cropsorworstyetthesoil.TheroadisanopenroadwheretheseR/Centhusiastswere
allowedtodrivedowntothefields,theriveropensituptoasecondavenueofattack,allowing
ittobeenteredamphibiously.Whilesecurityoftheproduceortheirlandmaynotbeatthe
forefrontintheirbusinessplan,theirsecurityofbothshouldbereviewedandadaptations
shouldbeinitiatedtosecuretheirfarm.

History of Agroterrorism
Whilethecontemporaryhistoryofagroterrorismisnotextensive,theexperimentationand
threatofagroterrorismis.InWorldWarIGermanyinfectedhorseswithanthraxandglanders.
AfterWorldWarIbothGermanyandFrancestudiedagriculturalpathogenssuchas
rinderpestvirus,Phytopthorainfestans(causinglateblight),Pucciniaspp.(causingwheat
rust),andseveralbeetlepests.(Keremidis,S18).DuringWorldWarIItheUnitedKingdom
andJapanhadextensiveresearchonanimalandplantpathogens,withJapanactually
deployingsomeagainstChina.Manycountrieshadresearchdevelopmentafterthewarwith
animalandplantvirusesaspotentialagentsofsocialandeconomicdestruction.TheSoviet
Unionresearchedandweaponizedmanyplantandanimalvirusesbetween19351992:

Africanswinefevervirus,avianinfluenzavirus,B.anthracis,Brucellaspp.(causing
brucellosis),Burkholderiamallei,Chlamydophilapsittaci(causingpsittacosis),FMD
virus,Mycoplasmamycoidesmycoides(causingcontagiousbovinepleuropneunomia),
Newcastlediseasevirus,Orfvirus(causingcontagiousecthymainsheep),rinderpest
virus,Venezuelanequineencephalitisvirus,andvesicularstomatitisvirus,aswellas
theplantpathogenicvirusesbrowngrassmosaicvirus,potatovirusY,tobaccomosaic
virus,wheatandbarleystreakmosaicvirus,andthefungiMagnaporthegrisea
(causingriceandryeblast),Pucciniasorghi(causingmaizerust),andPuccinia
graminis(causingwheatstemrust).(Keremidis,S18)

TheUnitedStateswasalsoweaponizingforagroterrorismfrom1943to1969,thelistoftheir
agentsbeing:

avianinfluenzavirus(causingfowlplague),B.anthracis,Brucellaspp.,B.mallei,
Chlamydophilapsittaci,eastern,Venezuelan,andwesternequineencephalitisvirus,
FMDvirus,Newcastlediseasevirus,andrinderpestvirusaswellasPhytophthora
infestansandthecausativeagentsofwheatblast,wheatstemrust,riceblast,andrice
brownspotdisease.(Keremidis,S18)

Whilenoneoftheseagentswereusedattheheightoftensions,themerefactthatthe
researchandweaponizationofthemoccurredshowsthattheycanbeeffectivelyusedto
causefearofsocialandeconomicstrife.

Iraq and Desert Storm

Iraqhadstartedabiologicalagentresearchanddevelopmentinthe1970s,intheearly
1980sitwasputonhold.Bythemid1980sitwasrestarted,someofthebiologicalweapons
thattheywereworkingonwere:

bacteria,virusesandtoxins:cultivationofBacillussubtilis,Bacilluscereus,andE.coli
bacteriaidentificationofShigellaandCholerabacteriainwateridentificationoffood
contaminantsisolationandpreservationofInfluenzavirus.ThebacteriaClostridium
botulinumwasalsocultivated,howeverbotulinumtoxinwasnotseparatedfromthe
biomass.(UNITEDNATIONSMONITORING,VERIFICATIONANDINSPECTION
COMMISSION,770)

In1985,theIraqiswereworkingonwheatcoversmut,makingaplantingandthen
releasingthefungusonthecropsinNorthernIraq.Anthraxwasdevelopedintoanaerosolto
useasaweaponagainstIran.BeforeOperationDesertStormsomeIraqisoldierswere
capturedandfoundtohavebeenvaccinatedforanthrax.DuringOperationDesertShield
Americantroopsweregivenaseriesofshotstovaccinateagainstanthrax.Thesebiological
weaponswerenotdestroyedduringthewar,theseagentswerepossiblymaintaineduntilthe
WarinIraqin2003.ThevaccumleftbythewithdrawalofAmericantroopsin20,theriseof
Islamiststerrorists,trainedMuslimscientistswithaninterestindestructionofAmericahave
leftanuncertaintyaboutbiologicalweapons.In2014alaptopwasdiscoveredinSyria
belongingtoISIS,thislaptopbelongedtoamanwhohadstudiedchemistryandphysicsin
Tunisia.Onthelaptopwas149gigabytesoffilespertainingtobiologicalwarfare.

"The advantage of biological weapons is that they do not

cost a lot of money, while the human casualties can be huge."
DocumentfoundhiddenonISISfighter'slaptop3
Whilethedocumentspertainedtothebubonicplague,itgoestoshowthatbiological
weaponsareofgreatinteresttoIslamicFundamentalists.Theyareactivelyseekingwaysto
wipeoutnotonlyAmericansbutanynonbelieversinIslam.

Post Cold War

In1991withthecollapseoftheSovietUnionandtheirfinancialcrisismanySovietera
scientistswereleftunemployedandlabsleftunsecured.U.S.intelligencereportshavestated
thatthesescientistswereinterviewedbyAlQaedainKandahar,Afghanistan.4 Intelligence
believesthatnoneofthesescientiststookthejobs.UnsecuredlabsintheformerSovietbloc
werelessstringentwithsecuritythaninthenewlyformedRussia.Kazakhstanwashometo
numerouslabs,theselabshadnosecurityafterthebreakupleavingbiologicalagentsopento
theft.Kazakhstanhasapopulationthatis70.20%Islam,iftheyweresympathetictothe
causeofIslamicextremism,thepossibilityofstolenbiologicalagents,andtheprocurementby
thatterroristorganizationcannotberuledout.

9/11 and the Agroterrorism Threat

In2002U.S.NavySealsstormedacaveinEasternAfghanistan,theretheyfoundAl
Qaedatrainingmanuals,inthesemanualswasprocedurestoattacktheUnitedStatesfood
supply:

3Foxnews.comLaptopreportedlyseizedfromISIShideouthintsatbioweaponsattack
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/29/laptopreportedlyseizedfromisishideouthintsatbiologicalweapons

4 Guterl, Fred: Newsweek 2/24/02, In The Germ Labs, http://www.newsweek.com/germ-labs-147885

TherewereagriculturearticlesfromAmericansciencejournals,translatedintoArabic.
TherewereUSDAdocuments.Therewasacomprehensivelistofthemost
devastatinglivestockpathogensfootandmouthdisease(FMD),hogcholera,
rinderpest.Therewasaseparaterundownofcropdiseaseslikesoybeanrustandrice
blight.And,mostalarmingly,thereweretrainingdocuments,detailinghowtodeploy
thesepathogensonfarms.(Hirsch)

Asweknowthereareeducated,welltrainedterroristswhowilldowhatevertheyhavetodo
todestroyAmerica.Whatbetterwaytodestroyherthanbyhittingatrilliondollarindustryin
thebreadbasketoftheworld.Byinflictingdamagetotheagriculturalindustryfear,unrest,
hysteriawillconsumethenation.CitizensofAmericaareusedtorecallsoftheirfood,itis
handledoncasebycasebasis.Ifthroughbioterrorismalargebiologicaleventwastohappen
civilandpoliticalunrestcoulddisruptthecountry.

OsamaBinLadenina2004video...braggedthatalQaedaspentonly$500,000onthe
9/11attacks,whiletheattackscostAmericaover$500billionandalargenumberofjobs.5
Asmentionedabovethetotalexceeded$3trillion.Agroterrorismisacheapandeasywayof
attackinganenemy.Biologicalagentscaneasilybedeployedduetolackofsecurityon
Americasfarms.

5DaveedGartensteinRoss,AlQaedasOilWeaponretrievedfromhttp://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/163cchwz.asp

Farm Security
For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked
our food supply because it is so easy to do.
Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Tommy Thompson
7 December 2004

AccordingtotheFBIouragriculturesystemistheleastprotectedarea,leavingitopento
agroterrorism.TheAmericanagriculturalindustryproducestheworldssafestandcheapest
food,butthosesystemswhichmaketheindustrysoreliablealsomakeitvulnerable.6 The
sizeanddistanceofAmericasfarmsisadetrimentalfactorinfarmsecurity.Withcorporate
farmsbeinglarge,inareasofthecountrywithlimitednoticeabilitythesefarmswillbethe
targetofagroterrorism.Leafyvegetableandberryfruitswillbethemostsusceptibletoattack
withpathogenslikesalmonellaandE.coli.Footandmouthdisease(FMD)willbethemost
likelyformofattackonanimals,whichwouldcausebillionsofdollarsworthofdamageand
causepanic.RecentlyanoutbreakinGreatBritainhadanoutbreakofFMD,causing
considerableeconomicdamage:

In2001,GreatBritainsufferedanoutbreakofFMDwhichledtothedestructionofover
4millionanimals(597,000cattle,3,219,000sheep,142,000pigs,2000goats,1,000

6Morris,GrantL.,ANewKindofWar:AreWePreparedforAgroterrorism?SchoolofAdvancedMilitaryStudiesUnitedStatesArmyCommandandGeneralStaffCollegeFortLeavenworth,Kansas
AY0607www.dtic.mil/gettrdoc/pdf?AD=ADA470894

deer,1,000other),64asaresultoffeedingcontaminatedanimalrenderingstoswine.
Withinthreeweeksofthefirstoutbreak,over50locationsthroughoutGreatBritain
testedpositiveforthedisease,andalthoughonly2,026caseswereactuallyconfirmed
betweenFebruaryandSeptemberof2001,thegovernmenthadtodestroyentire
herdsinordertofullycontrolthespreadofthedisease.Eventhisnaturallyoccurring
outbreaktookitstollonGreatBritainsfood,agricultureandtouristindustries.
Estimatesplacethelossinthefoodandagricultureindustryashighas$5billionwith
anequallosstothetourismindustry.7

Theattackonouragriculturalsystemwillnotbeconfinedtoonearea,like9/11itwilloccurin
multipleareassimultaneouslytocausemaximumeffect.TheU.S.isthesecondlargest
producerofbeefintheworld.CattleinventoryasofJuly1,2014is95million,worth$45
billiondollars.8 IfavianorswinefluwastobespreadamongU.S.farmswithoutcontainment
itwoulddestroythoseindustries.InApril2014,125,000chickenswereculledinordertohelp
containavianfluoutbreak.9 InMay2009,Egyptslaughteredallpigherdsduetoafearofan
outbreakafteravianflukilled26people,thepigherdswereestimatedat300,000.10

7Morris,GrantL.,ANewKindofWar:AreWePreparedforAgroterrorism?SchoolofAdvancedMilitaryStudiesUnitedStatesArmyCommandandGeneralStaffCollegeFortLeavenworth,Kansas
AY0607www.dtic.mil/gettrdoc/pdf?AD=ADA470894

8NationalCattlemansBeefAssociation,http://www.beefusa.org/beefindustrystatistics.aspx
9 YOSHIDA, REIJI , The Japan Times, 112,000 chickens culled atumamoto Farms in bid to curb bird flu outbreak;
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/04/14/national/112000-chickens-culled-at-kumamoto-farms-in-bid-to-curb-bird-flu-outbreak/#.VEeufYc7-8Q

10

Gusman, Jessica, Huffington Post, SWINE FLU: Egypt Slaughters All Pigs To Prevent Outbreak;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/swine-flu-egypt-slaughter_n_192741.html

05/30/2009

Farmsarenotstructuredforsecurity,neitherinmymindaretheyveryconcernedinactual
preventionofagroterrorism.Noflyzonesshouldbeinitiatedoverfarmsexceptwherecrop
dustingisanecessity.Accesstofarmsshouldbemonitoredorlimitedtoauthorized
personnel.Farmersshouldemployformermilitarytokeepsentryoverfarms,thiswoulddeter
possibleterroristattacks.Inthemilitarytherearechemicalandbiologicalsensorsthat
monitortheairfortoxins,thedeploymentofthesesensorswouldmonitoranyillegalactivity
thatwouldhappenandperhapslimitthespreadofdisease.

Fruitsandvegetablesarenotimmunefromattack.Botulism,salmonellaandE.colicould
beusedforattackontheproduce.Thesepathogenscanbefoundinsoilbutduetolackof
supervision,mishandlingandlongdistancesforthetransportationofproduce,ourfruitsand
vegetablescanbecontaminated.In2003aHepatitisAoutbreakwasreportedin
Pennsylvania,accordingtotheCenterforDiseaseControl(CDC)..Thegreenonionslikely
werecontaminatedwithHAVinthedistributionsystemorduringgrowing,harvest,packing,or
cooling.Tracebackinvestigationscompletedtodatehavedeterminedthatthegreenonion
sourceisoneormorefarmsinMexico.11

Withmoreandmoreillegalworkerscomingandworkingourfields,thethreatofproduce
contaminationishigh.Theworkersduringhandlingcouldtransmittoxinsintentionallyor
unintentionallyputtingourfoodandeconomicsituationatrisk.

Soil and entomological pathogens

11CDCMMWRDispatchNovember21,2003http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm52d1121a1.htm

10

Themostdestructivewaytoharmtheplantswegrowwouldbetointroducepathogensthat
Americaisnotreadytodefendagainst.Pathogenscanbeintroducedentomologicallyorby
dusting.Ifawidespreadoutbreakofdiseasetocornwastohappenitwouldhavesevere
consequencesontheU.S.economy.Cornisthemostproducedgrain,havingmanyuses,
fromethanoltoanimalfeed.Ifbrownstripedownymildeworanalteredversionofwastobe
introducedtheeffectwoulddestroytheeconomy.InAsiabrownstripedownymildewhasa
destructionrateof40100%ofcrops.Anintroductionofthispathogentothesoilcouldtake
yearstoeradicate.

Entomologicalwarfarehasbeenusedforcenturies.Harmfulinsectscandestroycropsin
weeks.Ifaterroristwastoreleasemassamountsofinsectsthatareharmfultoour
agriculturalsystemwhetheritbeplantoranimal,couldnotonlycostthecropbutincurthe
costoffightinginsectsorpathogens.Theestimatedannualcosttofightinvasivespeciesis
$137billionannually.12 In1989agroupofterroristscallingthemselvestheBreeders
releasedmedflysonCaliforniascrops,thecostoferadicatingthemstoodat$150million.

WiththerecentconcernoverColonyCollapseDisorderamonghoneybeestheconcernof
Varroamitesbeingthepossiblecauseoftransmission,breedingthesemitesandintroducing
themtowildanddomesticatedhiveswouldincapacitatenotonlypollinationofplantsbutalso
productionofhoney.Honeybeesbring$14.6billionintotheAmericaneconomyannually.
TobaccoringspotvirusisthesuspectedvirusinCCD,whichiscarriedbytheVarroamite.
Tobaccoringspotvirushasbeenfoundinthehoneyanddeadhoneybeeswithinthehives.

12Pimentel,DavidPh.D.,Economic and Environmental lmpacts of lnvasive Species and Their Management:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/weeds/publications/economic_ecological_costs_weed_control.pdf

11

Works Cited:
Keremidis,HaralamposAppel,BerndMenrath,AndreaTomuzia,KatharinaNormark,
MagnusRoffey,RogerandKnutsson,Rickard.HistoricalPerspectiveonAgroterrorism:
LessonsLearnedfrom1945to2012:BiosecurityandBioterrorism:BiodefenseStrategy,
Practice,andScienceVolume11,Supplement1,2013aMaryAnnLiebert,Inc.

Hirsch,Jesse.ModernFarmer:Web
http://modernfarmer.com/2013/12/foodinsecurityfarmsnextterroristtarget/

12