Fears about the possible use of biological weapons against US civilians had been largely hypothetical but were confirmed by the combination of 9/11 terrorist attacks and especially, the anthrax letters of September 2001. The perception about bioterrorism drastically changed, resulting in new legislation and public health measures being put in place to prevent any future mishaps from occurring. One example is the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act which granted public health officials unprecedented powers during future public health crises such as bioterrorism attacks. Similarly, the US government became more than generous in its funding for the purposes of biopreparedness measures which included the creation of infrastructure and response
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For instance, in 1992, the Russians admitted to illegally creating biological weapons despite being signatories to the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention. Similarly, during the first Gulf War, Iraq confirmed having a biological weapons programme and possessing bombs filled with anthrax spores. In 1993, radicalized Islamists bombed the basement of the World Trade Center leading to many injuries. Moreover, in 1995, anti-government militias bombed a government building in Oklahoma City, taking many lives. Also in 1994-5, a rich Japanese cult that had recruited scientists and engineers used sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, poisoning many. During this time, scientists such as Lederberg had already begun to lobby the US government to enhance public health measures and funding, leading to the introduction of programmes mandating the stockpiling of vaccines against diseases such as smallpox and other biopreparedness measures. The government also initiated a program to synthesize a more virulent strain of anthrax which was supposedly also possessed by Russia. All these events and decisions had begun to create a sense of the looming, but not yet there, threat of bioterrorism. That hypothetical threat turned into reality when the 9/11 attacks took place in New York which were followed, a week later, by the anthrax letters sent to various governmental officials. So now in 2001, all these events converged to leave
For instance, in 1992, the Russians admitted to illegally creating biological weapons despite being signatories to the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention. Similarly, during the first Gulf War, Iraq confirmed having a biological weapons programme and possessing bombs filled with anthrax spores. In 1993, radicalized Islamists bombed the basement of the World Trade Center leading to many injuries. Moreover, in 1995, anti-government militias bombed a government building in Oklahoma City, taking many lives. Also in 1994-5, a rich Japanese cult that had recruited scientists and engineers used sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, poisoning many. During this time, scientists such as Lederberg had already begun to lobby the US government to enhance public health measures and funding, leading to the introduction of programmes mandating the stockpiling of vaccines against diseases such as smallpox and other biopreparedness measures. The government also initiated a program to synthesize a more virulent strain of anthrax which was supposedly also possessed by Russia. All these events and decisions had begun to create a sense of the looming, but not yet there, threat of bioterrorism. That hypothetical threat turned into reality when the 9/11 attacks took place in New York which were followed, a week later, by the anthrax letters sent to various governmental officials. So now in 2001, all these events converged to leave