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Facing Up to the Bio-Chem Threat

President Boosts Mental Health Coverage

State Announces War Criminals Program

State Creates Casualty Assistance Office

By Donna Miles

The sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system four years ago took the world by surprise.

Chemical weapons have historically been used in wartime, most recently by Iraqis against the Kurds following the Persian Gulf War. But never before the Tokyo incident had chemical weapons been used as a terrorist weapon launched against random civilian targets. Twelve people died and thousands more were injured.

The threat of biological-chemical terrorist attacks hit a bit closer to home last February when a State Department employee in Washington, D.C., opened a letter that contained a granular powder and a note saying it was anthrax, a deadly bacterial substance.

The letter, one of several sent to U.S. government agencies and private organizations, turned out to be a hoax. But it affirmed how vulnerable Department employees--like the rest of the world--are to potential biological-chemical terrorist attacks.

At the root of the problem are literally hundreds of different chemical and biological agents that can be spread through food, water systems and the air.

Biological and chemical agents are falling increasingly into terrorists' hands, and some 25 countries have or are developing them and the means to deliver them. Dubbed "the poor man's atomic bomb," they can inexpensively spread fear, terror and death.

These agents could be used on U.S. or foreign soil, and, recognizing the potential threat they pose, Congress authorized a federal program in 1996 to train the municipal forces of 120 U.S. cities to recognize and respond to an attack.

No State Department employee or facility has ever been targeted for a biological or chemical attack. But to help protect its people against the possibility, State is launching a Department-wide biological-chemical master plan within the next year.

"It's a threat we hope never to face," said Tom McKeever, State's coordinator for chemical-biological countermeasures in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. "But we also have to recognize that these weapons do exist and that they can hit anyone, anywhere. So the best defense is to be prepared."

The Department plans to increase biological-chemical countermeasures at U.S. Missions worldwide, according to Mr. McKeever, while launching an education program to teach employees about the biological-chemical threat, how to recognize suspicious signs and what to do in the event of an attack.

In addition, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security will intensify training for first emergency responders, including regional security officers, general services officers and medical staffs, so they know how to react following an attack.

The Department also plans to purchase and deploy additional protective equipment worldwide for the overseas community. Among the new technologies being explored, Mr. McKeever said, is a lightweight individual gas mask that is easy to put on and can be discarded after use. Unlike traditional military gas masks, which are larger and bulkier, must be "fitted" to operate effectively and require regular maintenance, the portable masks being tested for State are designed simply to get people out of the affected area.

"We don't want our people trying to defend any of our buildings," Mr. McKeever said. "If there's a threat of a biological or chemical attack, we want them to get out--and to be able to get out safely."

Posts in high-threat areas would continue to be issued standard military gas masks, he said.

In addition, the Department plans to launch a voluntary, worldwide anthrax vaccination program for eligible U.S. government employees and their families serving abroad. Details of the program, to be phased in over several years, are still being finalized by Department officials.

The anthrax vaccine is not readily available for purchase or use by private parties. It is produced exclusively by a Michigan-based company under contract to the Department of Defense, which instituted a mandatory anthrax vaccine program last year and plans to immunize all service members by 2003.

Mr. McKeever said last year's embassy bombings in East Africa demonstrate that no matter how unlikely a terrorist attack may seem, it can never be completely ruled out.

State's biological-chemical master plan, he said, aims to coordinate a uniform, Department-wide response to the biological-chemical threat. "We already have defenses out there and some training out there," he said. "But this plan offers a coordinated approach to the problem."

Health care providers will be required to improve mental health and substance abuse coverage by 2001 to remain part of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.

President Clinton recently announced the new requirement at the first-ever White House Conference on Mental Health. He said the goal of the new requirement is to "make plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse care identical to traditional medical care with regard to deductible, co-insurance, co-payments and day and visit limitations."

The Office of Personnel Management has sent letters to all 285 FEHB plan providers informing them of the President's decision. The companies insure about 9 million federal employees and retirees and their families.

Currently, most insurance companies participating in the FEHB have higher deductibles for mental health care, pay less per visit and often set an annual limit on the number of appointments to mental health professionals, the President pointed out.

The Office of Personnel Management, through negotiations with insurance carriers, has already eliminated lifetime and annual maximums for mental health care. The President said the new steps he is requiring will elevate mental health care to the same level as standard health care.

Secretary Madeleine Albright recently announced the War Criminals Reward Program for the former Yugoslavia. Under the program, authorized by Congress, the United States is offering up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of war criminals indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The program also provides a reward for information leading to the transfer of war criminals to, or conviction by, the tribunal.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy, to phone (800) HEROES1 or to access State's reward program web site at www.heroes.net.

State recently announced the establishment of a new permanent office in the Department dedicated to responding to the needs of employees and their families following crises such as last year's embassy bombings in East Africa.

The Office of Casualty Assistance will serve as State's principal contact to employees and their families who experience extreme emergencies such as acts of terrorism resulting in deaths and injuries.

The new office will ensure that the Department is sensitive to the needs of employees and their families following such crises, and will coordinate with all responsible offices and agencies to facilitate the flow of information, assistance, benefits and services to families. In addition, the office will provide leadership, expert assistance and guidance in identifying the families' needs and problems and in recommending innovative responses to their needs during an emergency.

The office will be located in the Bureau of Personnel's Office of the Director General.

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