Customer Reviews

The United States and Biological Warfare: Secrets from the Early Cold War and Korea

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I reviewed this book in the New York Times Book Review, June 27, 1999. The review shows that the authors present, as if it were genuine and unproblematical, evidence long ago shown to be fabricated. The last paragraph of the review states:Carl Sagan used to say that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The evidence Endicott and Hagerman present for their extraordinarily dubious claim is notable only for its weakness. The Chinese and North Koreans themselves had the means, motive and opportunity to fabricate evidence, and were known to rewrite history for propaganda purposes. Any plausible defense of the claim that the Americans were guilty of biological warfare in the Korean conflict must address the question of fabricated evidence. Endicott and Hagerman do not even raise it. If theirs is the best case that can be made for American germ warfare activities in China and Korea, it amounts to a dismissal of the charges and an exoneration of the accused. ---Separately, additional proof that the North Korean and Chinese evidence was fabricated can be found in: Leitenberg, Milton. New Russian Evidence on the Korean Biological Warfare Allegations: Background and Analysis. Cold War International History Project Bulletin II. (Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center) Winter, 1998: 185-199. And:Weathersby, Kathryn. Deceiving the Deceivers: Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, and the Allegations of Bacteriological Weapons Use in Korea. Cold War International History Project Bulletin II. (Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center): Winter, 1998. 176-185.

This fascinating and deeply researched book examines whether the USA used biological weapons when it attacked Korea. It shows that the US Government, in collaboration with the British and Canadian Governments, spent $500,000,000 between 1951 and 1953 developing such weapons, based on those used by the Japanese Army in its attack on China.

In February 1952, the Joint Chiefs of Staff called for a strong offensive biological warfare capability without delay and for developing all effective means of waging war without regard for precedents as to their use. The biological weapons were incorporated into the Strategic Air Commands strategic plans for general war. The US state has never ratified the 1925 Geneva Protocol banning biological weapons.

The US state fought its war against Korea with no regard for legal constraints. It threatened to use nuclear weapons. It used chemical weapons - 70,000 gallons of napalm a day in 1951, and phosphorus bombs - despite having ratified the Protocol against chemical weapons. The USAF bombed civilians mercilessly: as General Curtis LeMay boasted, We burned down just about every city in North and South Korea both ... We killed over a million Koreans and drove several million more from their homes.

The authors examine the evidence of germ-bearing insects, feathers and other carriers found after USAF bombing raids and look at the consequent outbreaks of unusual illnesses. Many captured US pilots confessed to dropping bombs containing these materials. They later retracted their confessions, claiming that their captors had brainwashed them. A US Army study found no evidence of this. The pilots retracted under threat of death: the US Attorney General said that American POWs who collaborated with the enemy might face charges of treason.

The authors write, we are led to the conclusion that the United States took the final step and secretly experimented with biological weapons in the Korean War. Read the book and decide for yourself.

I highly recommend that anyone thinking about purchasing this book read the excellent review "Wartime Lies?" in the New York Times Book review ofJune 26 by Ed Regis. His concluding sentence: "If theirs is the best case that can be made for American germ warfare activities in China and Korea, it amounts to a dismissal of the charges and an exoneration of the accused." It would appear that some historians are confusing the standards of their profession with that of the legal profession. It is clear that a lawyer's services are for sale to the highest bidder--and often, in criminal justice situations, the more outrageous the theories propounded on behalf of the defendant, the more admired the legal counsel becomes. In this case, it would appear outrageousness sells. But what does this do to the practice of the profession of hsitory?

I found this book highly interesting, especially in the light of other publications on that subject (e.g., "The eleventh Plague") and think it is a valuable basis for discussion. One has to agree to a certain extend with Professor Crane, though, that some of the claims made in the book seem not very well substantiated, although I would not fully dismiss them. More thourough references might have added credibility. Except for that minor detail - an important book. It would have been nice of Prof. Crane, by the way, to suggest a book that he finds more "balanced" (or does that mean "mainstream U.S. military propaganda oriented"; I hope not!).

The book used multiple sources

1) original studies and reports from China and Korea, including medical studies, photos, reports of the germ war activities, the symptoms the bio analysis, etc, etc;

2) confessions of U.S. pilots (including officers), which provided great detail of the U.S. germ war program, with names, places, dates, types of bio-agents, policies, delivery methods, etc etc. The book proved that the US POWs provided the information without being physically abused (in any case, the Chinese could have not made up those details);

3) recently declassified US documents and germ war programs, including the use of bio weapon in Korea.

The picture was: 1), 2) and 3) matched exactly.

And then it analyzed the recantation of the POWs who made the confessions after they returned to the US, and found that (1) they were made under threats of severe punishment; (2) the contents of recantations were inconsistent with the declassified US documents.

The book is well researched. Read it for a correct understanding of history.

What someone can say!!! As it is known,in 1998, 12 newly Soviet documents was released, which prove the fabrication of the biological warefare (see: Bulletin Bulletin 11 - Cold War Flashpoints, CWIHP by Milton Leitenberg ). Endicott could simply ask for forgivness from Korean war veterans. But no, he insists and accuses the community of historians that the documents are a fabrication of Beria against his rivals inside the CPSU!!!!!
In Ancient Greece the worst crime was to commit a slander (Sycophantia - sycophant).
Endicott is lucky that he is not live in Ancient Greece
[...]

This is a well documented piece of work by two authors with an excellent grasp of their subject matter and considerable experience in China. They have a careful collection of declassified historical data as well as eye-witness testimony which makes the account compelling

This book used a lot of declassified material to show it was highly possible that US used bio-weapons in Korean war. US would have used anything it had in its disposal to finish the war: it bombed the big dams to flood the North Koreans and destroy their crops, it contemplated using nukes (which scared the allies). Washington had the technology and the talents from Unit 731, it is logical that US tried to test the effectiveness of the germ-weaponry. Had it worked, it would have been a very cost-effective and low risk way (compared to using nukes) to end the Korean conflict.

My first thought in reading this book was that it was the product of a critical socialist mind. Korean Conflict should be known as "Resist America, Aid Korea War" and the glorious peoples army of China were right.

Ultimately, the book is a well researched arguement of a conspiracy, like any you'd read on the Kennedy Assisination, UFO's in Rosewell, etc.. As a scholar, the references are more valuable than the book, which plays out the references with faulty reasoning (one could right a book about that alone).

Like most conspiracy theory books, it is the sort of book that can make you question even the perception of reality. This lends itself to a thought provoking work, which concludes a circumstantial case that the US used BW in Korea.

There are major problems with this cicumstancial "evidence" and unlike a court room, no one really cares anymore to provide a counter argument before the jury deliberates. Omission, bias, and incomplete analysis are the books major weaknesses.

It is unusual for a books weaknesses to be a selling point. This is one of those unusual cases. It shows the alternate opinion on the Korean Conflict, and demonstrates that though there is not fighting - the war has not ended.