Did the Government Create HIV?

Since we have people flapping at the mouth about how Rev Wright is paranoid for suggesting that the US Government created AIDS to kill off people of color. Let's hit this straight on. I have in my possession a copy of the Department of Defense Appropriations for 1970. I got this material back in 1993 so this is not new.

So that you can see it I found a copy online here:

http://panindigan.tripod.com/aidsdodhear.html:

The relevant text:

There are two things about the biological agent field I would like

to mention. One is the possibility of technological surprise. Molecular

biology is a field that is advancing very rapidly and eminent biologists

believe that within a period of 5 to 10 years it would be possible to

produce a synthetic biological agent, an agent that does not naturally

exist and for which no natural immunity could have been acquired.

MR. SIKES. Are we doing any work in that field?

DR. MACARTHUR. We are not.

MR. SIKES. Why not? Lack of money or lack of interest?

DR. MACARTHUR. Certainly not lack of interest.

MR. SIKES. Would you provide for our records information on what

would be required, what the advantages of such a program would be,

the time and the cost involved?

DR. MACARTHUR. We will be very happy to.

(The information follows:)

The dramatic progress being made in the field of molecular biology led us to

investigate the relevance of this field of science to biological warfare. A small group of experts considered this matter and provided the following observa- tions:

1. All biological agents up the the present time are representatives of naturally

occurring disease, and are thus known by scientists throughout the world. They

are easily available to qualified scientists for research, either for offensive or

defensive purposes.





2. Within the next 5 to 10 years, it would probably be possible to make a new

infective microorganism which could differ in certain important aspects from

any known disease-causing organisms. Most important of these is that it might

be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we

depend to maintain our relative freedom from infectious disease.

3. A research program to explore the feasibility of this could be completed

in approximately 5 years at a total cost of $10 million.





4. It would be very difficult to establish such a program. Molecular biology

is a relatively new science. There are not many highly competent scientists in the

field. Almost all are in university laboratories, and they are generally adequately

supported from sources other than DOD. However, it was considered possible

to initiate an adequate program through the National Academy of Sciences -

National Research Council (NAS-NRC).

The matter was discussed with the NAS-NRC, and tentative plans were plans were made

to initiate the program. However decreasing funds in CB, growing criticism

of the CB program, and our reluctance to involve the NAS-NRC in such a con-

troversial endeavor have led us to postpone it for the past 2 years.

It is a highly controversial issue and there are many who believe such

research should not be undertaken lest it lead to yet another method of massive

killing of large populations. On the other hand, without the sure scientific

knowledge that such a weapon is possible, and an understanding of the ways it

could be done, there is little that can be done to devise defensive measures.

Should an enemy develop it, there is little doubt that this is an important area

of potential military technological inferiority in which there is no adequate

research program.