“The history of genetic control trials against culicine mosquitoes in India in the mid-1970s shows how opposition can have far-reaching consequences. After several years of work on field testing of the mating competitiveness of sterile male mosquitoes, accusations that the project was meant to obtain data for biologic warfare using yellow fever were launched in the press and taken up by opposition politicians. Shortly afterward, a well-prepared attempt to eradicate an urban Ae. aegypti population by sterile male releases was banned by the government of India 2 days before its launch.” (x)
In 1987, a book (“Once Again About the CIA”) was published by Novosti, with the quote: “The CIA Directorate of Science and Technology is continuously modernizing its inventory of pathogenic preparations, bacteria and viruses and studying their effect on man in various parts of the world. To this end, the CIA uses American medical centers in foreign countries. A case in point was the Pakistani Medical Research Center in Lahore… set up in 1962 allegedly for combating malaria.” (x)
I really wish that having military/intelligence operatives pose as aid workers or humanitarian workers even outside of war was treated similar to a war crime.
Hmm… I believe you’re correct. It would be hard to revise that, too, without making the “Are you a cop? It’s entrapment if you lie!” urban legend into truth. It does feel like “posing as a medical worker” should be considered a crime above and beyond “posing as a civilian”.
I wouldn’t expect it to apply more strongly during peace than during war but conducting military or military intelligence operations under the symbols of humanitarian/Aid organizations has such vast externalities.
I’d count handing out food/medical supplies/vaccines, not just medical work. Basically military actions under the guise of amelioration of suffering.
There are always ways around these things for innovative people. With the cop one, one could tell a potential undercover that they are not allowed to enter their premises, playfully. A true cop would be breaking the law if they did, an undercover would not. Alternatively, the potential undercover could be challenged to break a petty crime like jaywalking.
It doesn’t matter. You’re not going to stop a conspiracy theory even if you can successfully ban actual conspiracies of the type depicted in the theory. It’s bad that spies do such things, but stopping spies from doing such things wouldn’t actually keep people from acting as though they do anyway.
I disagree, there will always be conspiracy theories but a conspiracy theory which can point to real life examples is much much more credible and will gain far more followers than one which can’t.
People don’t all blindly follow every conspiracy theory but if your local politicians have been caught 10 times taking bribes before you’ll be more willing to believe that a particular action is due to bribery. If the NSA has been caught spying on people a few times before you’ll be more willing to believe they’re doing it again.
Indians call sterile mosquitos CIA agents (Washington Post, December 10, 1974).
“The history of genetic control trials against culicine mosquitoes in India in the mid-1970s shows how opposition can have far-reaching consequences. After several years of work on field testing of the mating competitiveness of sterile male mosquitoes, accusations that the project was meant to obtain data for biologic warfare using yellow fever were launched in the press and taken up by opposition politicians. Shortly afterward, a well-prepared attempt to eradicate an urban Ae. aegypti population by sterile male releases was banned by the government of India 2 days before its launch.” (x)
In 1987, a book (“Once Again About the CIA”) was published by Novosti, with the quote: “The CIA Directorate of Science and Technology is continuously modernizing its inventory of pathogenic preparations, bacteria and viruses and studying their effect on man in various parts of the world. To this end, the CIA uses American medical centers in foreign countries. A case in point was the Pakistani Medical Research Center in Lahore… set up in 1962 allegedly for combating malaria.” (x)
Genetically modified mosquitoes set off uproar in Florida Keys—“A lot of people just don’t trust the FDA and this private company to tell us the truth”
I really wish that having military/intelligence operatives pose as aid workers or humanitarian workers even outside of war was treated similar to a war crime.
“The feigning of civilian, non-combatant status” is already a subcategory of perfidy, prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. Perfidy is probably the least-prosecuted war crime there is, though.
I was under the impression those rules only applied during an active conflict/war.
Hmm… I believe you’re correct. It would be hard to revise that, too, without making the “Are you a cop? It’s entrapment if you lie!” urban legend into truth. It does feel like “posing as a medical worker” should be considered a crime above and beyond “posing as a civilian”.
I wouldn’t expect it to apply more strongly during peace than during war but conducting military or military intelligence operations under the symbols of humanitarian/Aid organizations has such vast externalities.
I’d count handing out food/medical supplies/vaccines, not just medical work. Basically military actions under the guise of amelioration of suffering.
There are always ways around these things for innovative people. With the cop one, one could tell a potential undercover that they are not allowed to enter their premises, playfully. A true cop would be breaking the law if they did, an undercover would not. Alternatively, the potential undercover could be challenged to break a petty crime like jaywalking.
It doesn’t matter. You’re not going to stop a conspiracy theory even if you can successfully ban actual conspiracies of the type depicted in the theory. It’s bad that spies do such things, but stopping spies from doing such things wouldn’t actually keep people from acting as though they do anyway.
I disagree, there will always be conspiracy theories but a conspiracy theory which can point to real life examples is much much more credible and will gain far more followers than one which can’t.
People don’t all blindly follow every conspiracy theory but if your local politicians have been caught 10 times taking bribes before you’ll be more willing to believe that a particular action is due to bribery. If the NSA has been caught spying on people a few times before you’ll be more willing to believe they’re doing it again.