Overview

The horrifying terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax strikes that soon followed gave the United States new reason to fear unconventional enemies and atypical weapons. These fears have prompted extensive research, study, and planning within the U.S. military, intelligence, and policy communities regarding potential attacks involving biological weapons. In ""Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?"" Kathleen M. Vogel argues for a major shift in how analysts assess bioweapons threats. She calls for an increased focus on the social and political context in which technological threats are developed. Vogel uses case studies to illustrate her theory: Soviet anthrax weapons development, the Iraqi mobile bioweapons labs, and two synthetic genomic experiments. She concludes with recommendations for analysts and policymakers to integrate sociopolitical analysis with data analysis, thereby making U.S. bioweapon assessments more accurate. Students of security policy will find her innovative framework appealing, her writing style accessible, and the many illustrations helpful. These features also make ""Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?"" a must-read for government policymakers and intelligence experts.

Full Product Details

Author:   Kathleen M. Vogel (Arizona State University)
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.635kg
ISBN:  

9781421407425

ISBN 10:   1421407426
Pages:   384
Publication Date:   09 February 2013
Recommended Age:   From 13
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

"Acknowledgments Part I: The Bioweapons Threat and Assessment Problem 1. Bioweapons and National Security 2. Technological Frames and Narratives in U.S. Bioweapons Assessments and Policymaking Part II: Science in a Social Context Overview: The Biosocial Frame 3. Synthetic Genomic, the Biotech Revolution, and Bioterrorism 4. Societ Bioweapons Know-How and Proliferation Threats Part III: Analytic Failures in Bioweapons Assessments Overview: ""Curveball"" and the Iraqi Mobile Bioweapons Threat 5. Expertise and Analytic Practice 6. Current Intelligence Reporting and CIA Analytic Practice 7. Secrecy and the Production of the Iraqi Mobile Bioweapons Threat Part IV: Alternative Analytic Solutions 8. A New Knowledge Model for Bioweapons Intelligence Assessments Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index"

Reviews

<p>This is an engrossing book that exemplifies what STS can bring to broader issues of policymaking in the US and potentially beyond, and it is well worth reading.--Carla Nappi New Books in Science, Technology, and Society (01/01/2013)

Author Information

Kathleen M. Vogel is an associate professor in the department of science and technology studies and at the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, Cornell University.

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