need, they could potentially open themselves to future lawsuits. In recent years, more than 1,000 hospitals have closed across the country, thus decreasing the ability of healthcare professionals to carry out their duty to help the sick. In addition, a civil liberty question with regard to hospitals is the care an infectious person would receive. A person who has contracted a disease from a terrorist attack could be isolated and simply wait for death if there is no treatment for their ailment. The hospitals (under the direction of the government) may see the existence of someone with, for example, smallpox, as such a danger that the patient’s death is the only way to counter that threat. Thus, the doctors would give up on helping that person recover. Consequently, in a time of crisis, it may be very easy for the civil liberties of one to be overlooked in order to protect the entire population.Another reform that may help to better manage the terrorist threat is the U.S. government’s effort to deter terrorist attacks. Although the concern over the use of biological weapons by terrorists mainly involves non-state sponsored/private terrorist groups, pressure can be placed on nations that are sponsors of terror to adhere to the Biological Weapons Convention. In addition, the international community could agree to work harder to ensure the safety and security in biomedical research labs working with agents which may present potential threats. Russia is the nation that comes to mind when suggesting nations work harder on biomedical research security. Money has become a big concern for Russian scientists. The government presently does not pay scientists a fair salary for their work. In order to make money, many of these scientists have expressed interest in covertly selling chemical and biological agents to groups or nations that can pay them. In addition, security at chemical, biomedical, and nuclear facilities has ...
