The manifesto of the Norwegian man charged in the Norway attacks spells out plans for using anthrax as part of his war to defend Europe against what he called the rising threat of Muslim domination.
But experts in biological weapons said the manifesto showed no evidence that Anders Beh ring Breivik had actually obtained the lethal germ or could wield it as a weapon.
They said the document — at least on the subject of germ attacks — evoked the air of an armchair theorist rather than someone poised to commit mass slaughter.
“He obviously doesn’t have any specialized knowledge,” said Matthew Meselson, a Harvard biologist and expert on biological weapons. “He’s copied words from other places and says himself that he doesn’t have the expertise.”
The 1,500-page manifesto of Breivik is a kind of rambling encyclopedia on the acquisition and use of unconventional arms, including germ, chemical and nuclear weapons. Sections of it discuss how to obtain, cultivate and use anthrax and refer to it as “one of the most effective” weapons.
The New York Times
