News 4. Preparing for Germ Warfare

News 4. Preparing for Germ Warfare [WORDS] * warfare : n. 전쟁, 교전 * restricted : a. 금지된, 제한된 * germ : n. 세균 * detect : v. 탐지/발견하다 * rogue nation : n. 불량/적성국가 * anthrax : n. 탄저병 * simulant : n. 모조품, 가짜 * quantity : n. 양 * covert : a. 은밀한, 암암리의 * discharge : n. 유출(물), 유출량 * sophisticated : a. 정교한, 복잡한 * violation : n. 위반 * treaty : n. 조약, 협약 * counter : v. 맞서다, 대항하다 ================================================================================================== A remote coner of the Nevada Desert, this highly restricted area once used to test nuclear bombs, is where the US government has been running its secret experiment called "Project Bacchus" in an abandoned building. It is a small germ warfare factory. US officials say they built it to better understand how to detect similar operations in rogue nations or even by terrorists here at home. Technicians grew several pounds of a harmless bacteria with characteristics similar to deadly anthrax. "We are growing simulants but a terrorist could easily grow anthrax in a facility like this, and produce enough quantity in a covert deliverly it to kill, say, ten thousand people in a large city." "This would be, you think, like what a terrorist would do?" "A terrorist group would choose to do this, yep... hard to find, hard to see." "But very effective." "Very effective" How to detect it? Technicians put sensors outside to monitor heat and discharges into the air and soil. What is so frightening about this top secret project is that it shows with a little technical knowledge, it is surprisingly easy to build and operate a small germ warfare factory. And worse, even with the most sophisticated sensors, it is extremely difficult to detect it. The project was conducted in such extreme secrecy that some worry it might be seen as a violation of the international treaty that bans making germ weapons. "People overseas will think that the United States may be secretly conducting an offensive weapons program, that we may be... may be secretly trying to develop biological weapons." Countering those concerns is part of the reason the Pentagon agreed to show ABCNEWS this once-secret project. One of many efforts, sources say, to anticipate a threat that has the potential to kill on a scale only nuclear weapons could match. John McWethy, ABCNEWS, Camp 12, on the Nevada test site.