16 
Dr. Rapp said a computer can keep medical records but it can also be used 
to fire a missile. He said he could offer a good scientific rationale for 
studies involving cobra vencm. Researchers should not be prevented frcm 
utilizing recorrbinant DNA technology simply on the outside chance seme 
aspects could be converted to negative applications. 
Dr. Davis said if DOD believes the Soviets are experimenting with oobra 
vencm for biological warfare, it is not illegitimate for DOD to try to 
provide protection for the population. The NIH Guidelines address and 
permit the safe cloning of cobra venom toxin genes. 
Dr. Gottesman said Mr. Rifkin requests that RAC develop scenarios for 
usirp recarbinant DN\ technology for biological warfare but is upset that 
the CIA is asking molecular biologists to develop such scenarios. She 
questioned vhether any group could discuss scenarios without the possibility 
these scenarios would be used. 
Mr. Rifkin said the difference between what he and the CIA was requesting 
was "like night and day." He said he was suggesting RAC: 
"...take a lock at all of the potential implications for this technology 
so that you could draft appropriate guidelines and reccrmendations on 
how to best assure that we do net convert technology that was designed 
for one purpose to another unstated purpose . " 
Mr. Rifkin said he was not requesting RAC investigate violations of the 
Biological Weapons Convention. Rather he was requesting RAC study the 
potential military uses of this technology "so you can inform us on hew we 
can safeguard ourselves so that this won't be used improperly . " 
Mr. Rifkin said RAC has evaluated the ethics of certain categories of 
reccrrbinant DN\ experiments. He said: "If the RAC committee has, and I 
knew it has in the past, locked at the ethics of a particular type of 
experiment in relation to their risk, I don't understand why this kind of 
experiment should somehow be outside of its purview. " 
Mr. Rifkin said the NIH Guidelines deal with safety aspects of experiments. 
The DOD is in ccnplianoe with the safety aspects described in the NIH Guide- 
lines but the ethics and merits of the experiments were not considered. 
The DOD may, thus, continue to perform all types of experiments as long as 
they are in compliance with the safety aspects of the NIH Guidelines. 
Mr. Rifkin said RAC will simply continue to say it has no responsibility. 
He said: "That seems to me to be not only unacceptable, but unconscionable 
frcm the point of view of the responsibilities of this committee." 
Dr. Walters said RAC is not the appropriate committee for this type of 
evaluation. RAC is a reactive group. When a new application of recombinant 
DNA technology appears, RAC reacts by developing ground rules for that 
area of research. RAC has never performed studies of the type suggested 
by Mr. Rifkin. 
[136] 
