Why Are American Bio Labs In Ukraine? – OpEd

While viewing the Indian TV Channel ‘Republic’ I found the various American personalities on the debate had no convincing answers to  anchor Arnab Goswami’s questions to discuss “Moscow’s claims that US is funding ‘military biological activities’ in Ukraine and secretly developing biological weapons in their laboratories. A thought crossed my mind that if true at the first place what are American Bio Labs doing in Ukraine? However, both the US and Ukraine have categorically denied that they are developing any biological weapons inside the country. 

The UN security council met  on March 11 at Russia’s request to discuss Moscow’s claims that the US is funding “military biological activities” in Ukraine. The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, raised the issue of “uncontrolled spread of bio agents from Ukraine” across Europe. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador countered that “Russia’s claim could be a pretext for it launching its own biological weapons attack on Ukraine”..I will say “Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program.”She went on to turn the accusation back on Moscow. “It is Russia that has long maintained a biological weapon program in violation of international law.”China supported the claims during the  UN security council debate. 

Moscow claimed that its invading forces had discovered evidence of an “emergency clean-up” to hide the programme and had found documents related to the secret US operation in laboratories in the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Poltava.It was an accidental finding. World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is unaware of activity by Ukraine violating any international treaty, including the ban on biological weapons.The UN high commissioner for disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, confirmed that the UN was not aware of any biological weapons programme in Ukraine. 

Ukraine does operate biological laboratories which receive US funding. The US undersecretary of state Victoria Nuland did confirm the labs but keeps away from providing information about biological weapons. “We are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces.” This US over concern is a further evidence of a secret US-Ukraine plot. 

Bio Labs do seem to hold dangerous pathogens. WHO has strongly recommended to the ministry of health in Ukraine and  to destroy high-threat pathogens to prevent any potential spills.” The WHO has worked in Ukraine for several years helping the bio labs improve their safety and security, so it knows what it is talking about. Another evidence of presence of dangerous materials.

Dr Gigi Gronvall of Johns Hopkins Center “Most of the work of the Ukraine labs involves surveillance of diseases in animals and people as an early-warning system for illnesses such as African swine fever, which is endemic in the region. “We know pathogens don’t respect borders, so helping to put out public health fires before they become too big is an advantage to all of us…This is one of the best things that we do.” 

According to the US State Department, “Russia continues to maintain an offensive biological weapons programme in violation of the convention that it has signed.” This is no counter to Russian claims of a secret bio-weapons. In addition to the threat of pathogens held in Ukrainian labs leaking out or falling into the hands of Russian forces, there is the threat of Russia potentially launching its own biological weapons attack.Why this scare if no dangerous bio research material  are stored and produced in Ukrainian Bio Labs?

US needs to provide answers to satisfy the world community. US clarifications so far have further created doubts about the US so called ‘Research Bio Labs’:

• First and foremost why so many ‘Research Bio Labs’ in Ukraine and not in the US?
• How many Bio Labs are funded in Ukraine and what are they producing for what purpose? 
• Why did the labs rush to destroy the materials right after Russian invasion and what were they scared of? 
• Are those labs engaged in scientific research for bio-weapon materials? 
• Why has the US been  blocking  the verification mechanism of the Biological Weapons Convention? The Pentagon expressed fears that inspections of bio-defense installations would compromise national security  and might compromise trade secrets.
• US  acquired the  Japanese *Unit 731’s data, but never published what the data was used for and the US helped Japanese war criminals escape punishment in exchange for materials of biological weapons in order to possibly develop its own.
• Chinese Foreign Ministry, spokesman  revealed that the US operates 336 bio-labs in 30 countries! Data released by the US itself shows that the country has 26 bio-labs and other related facilities in Ukraine.What are the  336 US bio labs around the world producing? 

Biological weapons are seen as weapons of mass destruction together with nuclear and chemical weapons. Any suspicion of  development of biological weapons must be promptly investigated. The UN security council took an immediate action to hold a meeting on March 11 at Russia’s request to discuss Moscow’s claims that the US is funding “military biological activities” in Ukraine. Now that Russia is in physical occupation and if certain of their allegations must request the UN for spot inspections to let the world know the truth and Ukraine must cooperate.Before the truth prevails President must provide clarifications on the need of  so many  ‘Research Bio Labs’ in his country and their purpose.If the Russian allegations are baseless  accusing the US of funding biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine only a ground fact check by the team detailed by the UN can prove that.

*Unit 731 was the name of the Imperial Japanese Army’s covert biological and chemical warfare division. In the 1930s through the second China-Japan war and till the end of World War II, Unit 731 carried out horrific human experiments on the countless prisoners and villagers at Harbin, Northeastern China. The Unit was officially known as the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army.