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By Shelley Smith
In April, 2004, Jamie Wilson broke the article Terrorism prompts call to vet research. The British scientific community’s had warranted concerns of scientific research and discoveries that could potentially be carried out through harmful applications towards the development of biological weapons that could be used by bio-terrorists and rogue states.
During that time, Professor Brian Eyre, of the Royal Society Committee on scientific aspects of international security was concerned for a need of more rigorous regulations and improved exercise of judgment on research that could be used to create bio-terror weapons.
Others in the scientific community questioned whether this would really be effective in combating bio-weapons. But by September of 2004, the Commons science and technology committee discovered that UK universities were failing in the areas of implementing needed safeguards. Eyre’s past concerns have now evolved into the realization by the science community, the security services, and the government, of terrorists posing as postgraduate students trying to access top laboratories.
During 2007 and 2008, the British government confirmed from empirical evidence al Qaeda is determined to develop more sophisticated weapons. Warnings from MI5 to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, warned of al Qaeda’s terrorist network and extremist groups were actively targeting university students and seeking to recruit scientists with access to such laboratories with the intent to create chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.
Mark Townsend’s reveals in his article Terrorists try to infiltrate UK’s top labs November 02, 2008, UK security services, MI5 and MI6 intercepted up to 100 potential terrorists posing as postgraduate students whose aim was to acquire weapons materials and expertise to develop weapons of mass destruction from university laboratories. These university labs do scientific research and contain deadly viruses and weapons technology.
In November 2007, university and security services introduced the Academic Technology Approval Scheme. Security services are conducting extensive background checks using a new vetting scheme. Overseas students from “countries of concern” who are believed to be intent on developing such weapons are now being denied clearance to study in the UK. Yet, officials are questioning how many terrorists have already infiltrated the sensitive laboratories and have passed the information on.
However, after 9/11, the United States developed national security safeguards and passed legislation prohibiting non-Americans from sensitive laboratories in order to safeguard and secure the nation from the possibility of such potential infiltration.
About the Author
Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.
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