The French Biological Weapons Program - Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945 - page 124

cording to a previously defined program, it would be appropriate in our
opinion to consider new studies on the following”:
• Creation and maintenance of a prototype biological offensive agent
• Selection and conservation of microbe stocks
• Familiarization with the manipulation of such offensive agents (ecologi-
cal studies) and with their conservation and production
• Choice of vector and mode of delivery congruent with their military use
• Experimentation 51
In accordance with Conseil de Défense directives, the CIEECB under-
took “to focus research on incapacitating biological agents rather than le-
thal agents.” 52 Veterinary General Guillot explained that aerial disper-
sion of staphylococcal enterotoxin had already been perfected in the US
and suggested that this method also be explored for the agents of tulare-
mia and dengue fever. From this point onward research was carried out
in accordance with the new directives of the BW program. The SBVA,
at Maisons-Alfort, carried out its experiments with two biological inca-
pacitants: staphylococcal enterotoxin, dispersed by aerosol; and Brucella
abortus, studied in irradiated animals. The Centre d'Etudes du Bouchet,
although attention had shifted to incapacitating agents, continued its
work on Bacillus anthracis. The CEB intended during 1964 to resume
its theoretical studies, abandoned in 1958, into biological ordnance and
aircraft reservoirs with aerosolization nozzles and bomblets, so as to be
ready to carry out the first actual tests the following year. 53
The SGTEB meeting in January 1964 was largely taken up with the
question of biological armament. The SGTEB wanted to focus on the dis-
persion of biological agents in dry product form rather than in liquid form
because it was easier to conserve agents in that way. During the discus-
sions, Medical Corps Colonel Colobert pointed out that the US was hav-
ing to replace its stocks of liquid agents annually, which was a very costly
undertaking. 54 The SGTEB also spent time during this session on defining
the notion of a biological incapacitant: “this type of agent when used in
normal conditions should not cause mortality greater than 1 percent or
create permanent lesions, in addition to possessing the properties re-
quired for a weapon agent (pathogenic character, ease of production,
resistance to the release environment).” 55 Besides staphylococcal entero-
toxin and Brucella abortus, other potential incapacitants were studied in