“Ingayintlekele Yodwa”

KHAWUBE nalo mbono. Abanqolobi basasaza intsholongwane ebangela ingqakaqha kwizakhiwo ezithathu ezineevenkile eUnited States. Le ntsholongwane yasulela bonke abathengi abangacingelanga nto. Kungekudala—kwisithuba esingaphezu nje kweveki—oogqirha baphawula ukuba ngabantu abangama-20 abagula sisifo esibangelwa yile ntsholongwane. Kwiintsuku ezilandelayo, esi sifo sasulela nabanye abantu abaninzi. Abantu baqalisa ukunxunguphala. Kuba sisiphithiphithi nje. Umsebenzi uyabongamela abezonyango. Imida ephakathi kwamazwe iyavalwa. Kukho ukungazinzi kwimeko yezoqoqosho. Kwiintsuku ezingama-21 emva kolo hlaselo, le ntsholongwane sele inwenwele kumazwana angama-25 nakumazwe ali-10. Ngoku sele kwasulelwe abantu abali-16 000 yaye sele kufe abali-1 000. Oogqirha baqikelela ukuba kwiiveki nje ezintathu, inani labantu abasulelweyo liza kuntinga liye kutsho kuma-300 000. Yaye bathi kuza kufa umntu omnye kwabathathu.

Lo asingomdlalo nje kamabonwakude othelekelelwayo, osekelwe kwinzululwazi. Yinkqubo yekhompyutha eyayibonisa oko kunokwenzeka xa kunokuhlaselwa ngeentsholongwane. Le nkqubo yaqulunqwa ziingcaphephe zabaphandi ngoJuni 2001. Yabizwa ngokuba yi-“Dark Winter.”

Abaninzi baqala ukuyiqonda intsingiselo yale nkqubo ibizwa ngokuba yi-“Dark Winter” emva kohlaselo olwenzeka ngoSeptemba 11, 2001. Ukuhlaselwa kweWorld Trade Center kwisiXeko saseNew York nePentagon eWashington, D.C., kwabonisa ngokuphandle ukuba kukho abantu abangenalusini nabazele yintiyo abazimisele ukutshabalalisa izihlwele zabantu. Ngapha koko, olo hlaselo lwenza kwacaca ukuba elaseUnited States, kuquka naliphi na elinye ilizwe lisesichengeni sokuhlaselwa. Siphila kwihlabathi apho abanqolobi banokubulala amawaka abantu ngephanyazo.

Ngokukhawuleza nje emva kolo hlaselo lukaSeptemba 11, abaququzeleli bezobupolitika baseUnited States nabo basebenza kumajelo eendaba baba ngamaxhoba okuthunyelelwa iileta ezine-anthrax, intsholongwane ebulalayo. Abantu babenkwantya luloyiko. Into eyabangela uloyiko nangakumbi kukuba, amajelo eendaba kuquka ezinye iingcali zathi, abanqolobi basenokusebenzisa iintsholongwane ezinokuba yingozi nangaphezu kwe-anthrax—ngokomzekelo, basenokusebenzisa intsholongwane ebangela ubhubhani wesifo okanye ebangela ingqakaqha. Mhlawumbi amazwe athile “angoontamo-lukhuni” ayesele ezenza ezo ntsholongwane kwiindawo zokuxuba amachiza ezifihlakeleyo. Phawula oko kuye kwabhalwa kutshanje okubonisa oko kusenokwenzeka:

“IWorld Medical Association iphawula ukuba ziya zisanda izixhobo ezenziwe ngemichiza ezinokubulala abantu abaninzi nezinokusasazeka ehlabathini lonke. Akukho lizwe lingenakuchaphazeleka. Ukusasazwa kweentsholongwane ezibangela ingqakaqha, izifo ezingubhubhani, ne-anthrax kunokuba yintlekele kuba ezi ntsholongwane zinokwasulela zize zibulale abantu abaninzi yaye loo meko inokubangela unxunguphalo.”—IAmerican Medical Association.

“Ngokungafaniyo neebhombu neegesi ezibulala imithambo-luvo, imiphumo yokwasulelwa ziintsholongwane ezenziwe ngemichiza ayibonakali ngokukhawuleza: isifo asikhawulezi sibonakale yaye umntu simhlasela ngokuthe ngcembe. Ekuqaleni bambalwa kakhulu abantu abaya esibhedlele. Oogqirha basenokubona ngathi aba bantu bagula nje zizifo eziqhelekileyo. Baqala ukubona oyena nobangela sele kwasuleleke abantu abaninzi kuloo ndawo.”—Iphephancwadi iScientific American.

“Ukuba ngoku bekunokusasazwa intsholongwane ebangela ingqakaqha, inkoliso yabantu emhlabeni ibingayi kukwazi ukuzikhusela, yaye njengoko le ntsholongwane ibulala abantu abangama-30 ekhulwini kwabo basulelekileyo, bekuya kufa abantu abamalunga namawaka amabini ezigidi.”—Iphephancwadi iForeign Affairs.

‘Akukho lizwe lingekho sichengeni. Kunokwasuleleka abantu abaninzi. Kunokufa abantu abamalunga namawaka amabini ezigidi.’ Ezi ngxelo ziyothusa. Kodwa ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba ihlabathi lihlaselwe ngezixhobo ezenziwe ngemichiza ezinokubangela intlekele? Iingcali zisawuphonononga lo mbuzo. Inqaku elilandelayo liza kukunceda uqonde ezinye izinto ezibandakanyekileyo koku.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Amajoni abonisa oko anokukwenza xa kuhlaselwa ngezixhobo ezenziwe ngemichiza

[Inkcazelo]

DoD photo by Cpl. Branden P. O’Brien, U.S. Marine Corps