The Strange Case of the Vanishing Bio-Weapons Lab

Jeffrey K. Silverman reports on the controversy surrounding the Richard G. Lugar Center for Public Health Research in Tbilisi, Georgia, which has been accused of being a bioweapons lab. The Georgian government announced its liquidation, with assets transferring to the Georgian National Center for Disease Control. The CDC claims the lab is managed by the US Department of Defense. Silverman suggests that the Lugar Center may be a decoy, with the real focus being on the G. Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology, which is involved in bacteriophage research that could address antibiotic resistance. The article raises concerns about the potential military applications of this research and the ongoing US involvement in biological research in Georgia, despite public health claims. It also touches on the legal implications of the USA PATRIOT Act Section 817, which exempts US government activities from prohibitions on biological weapons.