Bush wants army to combat bird flu

"The US military might have to quarantine areas of the United States if there was a serious outbreak of the deadly avian flu, George Bush has said. The President said he would ask Congress to consider giving him powers to use the army if bird flu struck.

"Mr Bush said on Tuesday that he was concerned about the danger avian flu poses to the world, though he was not predicting an outbreak in the US.

"'I am just suggesting that we better [sic] be thinking about it,' he said. 'And we are. And we're more than thinking about it; we're trying to put plans in place.'

"Regional quarantine would raise difficult policy decisions and legal issues, but the possibility had to be discussed.

"'It's one thing to shut down your airplanes, it's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu,' he said. 'To do this, we might have to use the military, which is able to plan and move.'

"This is the second time in two weeks that Mr Bush has suggested Congress pass special laws to allow the US military to bypass the state-controlled National Guard to perform what amounts to civilian policing, which has been unlawful in the US for almost 80 years.

"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina last month, he suggested Congress give him the power to send in the military to take control in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

"Congress's response was lukewarm, while state governors said they would oppose any move to bypass their power as first responders to any disaster.

"That Mr Bush raised the issue of a military-enforced quarantine in the event of a bird flu epidemic shows that health authorities and the Administration are increasingly concerned a worldwide epidemic could kill millions and would inevitably strike the US.

"Since late 2003 the H5N1 bird flu strain has killed more than 60 people, and its spread through chicken populations in South-East Asia, and now to migratory birds, has alarmed health experts.

"The Senate passed legislation last week providing $US3.9 billion ($5 billion) in emergency funds to develop a response to a serious outbreak."
Sydney Morning Herald

Tagged: bush,, usa, civil+rights, human+rights, security, avian+flu, pandemic