Chemical Terrorism Threats
The Conflict
In the past five years, and especially since the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, there has been a heightened awareness of all forms of terrorism, including that of chemical terrorism, which often generates more fear amongst the public due to its nature. Chemical terrorism is the use by terrorists of toxic chemical agents to attack their targets.
Military
- The use of chemicals as weapons has a long history, but their first major appearance on the battlefield was during World War I, when agents such as chlorine and mustard were used extensively.
- Chemical weapons were not used in World War II, but were used afterwards, such as during the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-88.
Security
- Although conventional explosives remain the weapon of choice for most terrorists, there are several reasons why terrorists might find chemical agents attractive, including the vulnerability of modern society to these weapons, their tactical flexibility, and the evidence that they are easier to acquire and deliver than most other unconventional weapons.
- Large-scale chemical terrorism is possible, but it is not as easy as is often assumed.
- Various measures can be taken to combat the threat, from both the prevention side, such as law enforcement and intelligence gathering, and the preparedness side, such as emergency planning and stockpiling antidotes.
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