Educational Media Reviews Online

With the term WMD (weapons of mass destruction) so prominent in recent news, this look at the biological weapons programs of the United States and the former Soviet Union gives some context to today’s situation. Using archival footage as well as interviews with some of the major players from the U.S. and the Soviet Union we see how these programs grew out of programs begun in Britain and Japan in World War II. The programs of the two major superpowers lasted until their supposed end by treaty in 1969. The U.S. ended their program, the Soviets continued with theirs. Ironically, the people interviewed to give the Soviet perspective both defected to the West and are both living in the U.S. There is a most interesting interview with the late Dr. David Kelly, former U.N. inspector and advisor to the British government whose mysterious death in the summer of 2003 created great controversy. This informative video is a fine melding of sound, music and visuals, and well worth watching.