Educating the Media

Bad enough when policy wonks and post-9/11 security consultants want to confuse bioterrorism with pandemic flu response. It's really easy - epidemiologists can track contagious diseases and plan public health responses to counter them. The public can take steps to reduce exposure to specific, known diseases. Bioterrorists are expected to use small doses of unknown organisms that may or may not spread from a single or multiple sources. You use law enforcement and intelligence sources to stop bioterrorists.

Not hard to understand that there is one fundamental common area between bioterrorism and public health - the medical response aspect - but the differences are far more distinct. This is clear to almost everyone not trying to exploit public fears of bioterrorism - which explains the attitudes of some reporters in the White House press pool quizzing the acting CDC director.

 Q    Secretary Napolitano, I believe Japan and South Korea have both now announced that they're going to begin testing on passengers coming in from the U.S.  Why is the U.S. not doing that with passengers coming in from Mexico?  And then also, do you have any indications -- I know it's still very early yet -- but any indications that perhaps this might have been caused by bioterrorism, this new strain of flu?
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DR. BESSER:  Yes, the question about the strain that we're seeing here, we analyzed that strain and are continuing to do further analysis of that strain and we expect to see the emergence of new flu strains.  That's something that we are continually watching for to ensure that we're ready should a strain emerge that there's not immunity and protection in the community for it.  This strain is not unlike other new strains that have emerged.  It's an assortment -- it's got genetic components from a number of sources, including human, swine, and avian sources.  And that's something that you see with new strains.
 
And so there's nothing that we have seen in our work that would suggest anything but a naturally occurring event.
 
Q    But from a security perspective, nothing to rule it out either -- the possibility of bioterrorism?
 
MR. BRENNAN:  We are looking at all different aspects here, but as the doctor said, there is no evidence whatsoever that we have seen.  But clearly, in order to make sure that we're doing everything possible, we're looking at all potential explanations here -- but no evidence whatsoever on the bioterrorism --

Yes, why not run with a big headline "US GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO RULE OUT BIOTERRORISM" - what idiots infest our White House reporter pool... As Jon Stewart said on Monday night, "He said NO the first time!"