Contributor(s): Dr Filippa Lentzos | Anthrax, smallpox, plague - biological weapons provoke a special fear in us. Whatever the reasons for this, it is not because they have proven to be especially lethal in comparison to conventional weapons, according to Dr Filippa Lentzos. In this film Dr Lentzos, a senior researcher with BIOS - LSE's centre for the study of bioscience - explains why the US Government, along with the security and pharmaceutical industries, have an interest in nurturing a culture of fear concerning a biological weapons attack. She also argues that the US government's response to the risk of an attack may have, ironically, actually increased the threat of such an attack. Dr Lentzos works on strengthening the UN Biological Weapons Convention. She is currently working with governments on increasing transparency and building confidence between states that no offensive weapons programmes are being developed.
