Terrorism And Weapons Of Mass Destruction

This revised edition is a comprehensive account of the technological and political possibilities and dangers presented by weapons of mass destruction in the wake of September 11th, 2001. The technical and organizational sophistication of the attacks on September 11th heralds a new era in the age-old war against terrorism. After these attacks, attention became focused on the activities and capacities of Islamic extremist groups, such as Osama bin Laden' s al-Qa' eda organization, but the reality is that terrorist threats could come from almost any quarter.

In WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND TERRORISM, 2/e, Dr. James Forest and Brigadier General (Retired) Russell Howard have collected original and previously published seminal articles and essays by scientists, academics, government officials, and members of the nation’s security and intelligence communities. The editors and several of the authors write from practical field experience in nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts. Others have had significant responsibility for developing government policies to address the threat of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The contributors include many significant names in the field including Bruce Hoffman, Ashton Carter, William Perry, Brian Jenkins, Jonathan Tucker, Charles Ferguson, David Albright, Gary Ackerman, and Gregory Koblentz. Unit I of the book introduces key terms and addresses important strategic and policy debates. Authors explain how the new forms of terrorism affect the post-9/11 security environment and how weapons of mass destruction could give terrorists short-term, asymmetric attack advantages over conventional military forces. Unit II offers detailed accounts of the characteristics, availability, and dangers of specific types of WMD, along with five case studies that associate theory with practice—an important feature of this volume. Unit III is focused on key dimensions of the WMD threat to critical infrastructure. Unit IV deals with past, present, and future national and international responses to—and defenses against—the threat of WMD terrorism. And in the final section of the volume, authors provide several analytical frameworks for predicting future WMD threats, and draw from historical events to identify lessons and strategies for the future. Appendices include U.S. national strategy documents on countering terrorism and standards for controlling WMD materials and technologies.

There is a widely held belief in the imminent probability of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction being used by terrorists against civilian targets. This edited volume critically assesses the suggestion that one safeguard against this possibility would be to strengthen existing international prohibitions against state- level acquisition of such weapons. A glimpse of the possible potential of terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction has been seen through the actions of the Tokyo Aum group, and through the use of chlorine by insurgents in Iraq. However, the extent of the real threat posed is as yet unclear, and safeguarding against it in developing countries will not be easy. This book assembles specialists in each category of WMD in order to examine the potential of expanding the three ‘classical’ arms control treaties in order to combat the threat posed by smaller terrorist groups, and draws conclusions as to the strengths and weaknesses of this suggestion.

This collection of essays is a current and comprehensive review of what scientists and scholars know about WMD terrorism and America's options for confronting it. Complete with mathematical methods for analyzing terrorist threats and allocating defense resources, this multidisciplinary perspective addresses all forms and defenses of WMD, and the role of domestic U.S. politics in shaping defense investments and policies. Also identified are multiple instances in which the conventional wisdom is incomplete or misleading.

“The greatest danger of another catastrophic attack in the United States will materialize if the world's most dangerous terrorists acquire the world's most dangerous weapons.” —The 9/11 Commission Report The bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism was established by the U.S. Congress to build on the work of the 9/11 Commission by assessing our nation's progress in preventing weapons of mass destruction proliferation and terrorism, and providing a roadmap to greater security with concrete recommendations for improvement. The Commission has interviewed over 200 experts inside and outside of government. They have met with counterterrorism and intelligence officials here at home and abroad who are working to stop proliferation and terrorism The Commission's report examines the government's current policies and programs, identifies gaps in our government's prevention strategy and recommends ways to close them. The threat of terrorist attacks in the United States and elsewhere is still very real. The world remians at risk There is more that can and must be done. Our security depends on it.

As bad as they are, why aren't terrorists worse? With biological, chemical and nuclear weapons at hand, they easily could be. Jessica Stern argues that the nuclear threat of the Cold War has been replaced by the more imminent threat of terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction.

In Defence Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism the editors examined the class of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) for terrorist use, and have found that their effects range from serious nuisance value up to catastrophic destruction of a large urban area. There are some differences in the effects depending on whether they are used against military or civilian targets, whether they are used from inside the target area or outside, and between those weapons for which MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) gear can provide useful protection (Biological Weapons, Chemical Weapons) and those for which it often cannot (radiation, nuclear explosions). These are useful ways to begin thinking about establishing protocols for protecting our armed forces and the civilian population they are sworn to defend.

Terrorism and WMD’s, Second Edition provides a comprehensive, up-to-date survey of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Terrorist weapons and delivery methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated; as such, this book focuses on the chemistry and biology of WMDs, the development and history of their use, and human health effects of such weapons. Coverage of new threats, additional case studies, and the emergence of ISIL—and other terrorist actors—have been added to the new edition which will serve as an invaluable resources to students and professionals studying and working in the fields of terrorism, Homeland Security, and emergency response.

Weapons of Mass Destruction are diverse and pose unique challenges to governments attempting to keep them out of the wrong hands and preparing to respond to an attack. This text analyzes Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons and terrorist groups with a known interest in them. It presents accessible information about the technical challenges posed by each type of weapon, assesses the threats, and reviews the US governmental responses. It provides structured CBRN case studies and allows for easy comparison of threats, challenges, and responses. The text combines weapons and policy information in one comprehensive and comparative resource for researchers and students interested in key issues in modern terrorism and international security.

The twenty-nine articles explore the issue of WMD and key questions raised about terrorism, its definition, objects, motivation, whether there is a different species of it emerging in the aftermath of the close of the Cold War, preparedness and the means of prevention.The conventional, low-technology terrorism of the past has exercised a social and political impact far out of proportion with the casualties it has caused. The massive, indiscriminate destruction caused by an act of WMD terrorism similarly would have disproportionate social, political, economic and strategic effects.