Vinod Jain and Bharati Dhruva

Chemical and biological (CB) weapons are harmful substances that can cause widespread death or disease if released in a populated area. In the following viewpoint, Vinod Jain and Bharati Dhruva contend that CB weapons in the hands of terrorists constitute a serious threat to U.S. security. According to the authors, terrorists may favor CB weapons because they are inexpensive to produce, highly toxic, and extremely difficult to detect. Jain is a technology analyst with a consulting firm in Virginia. Dhruva is a research associate at Johns Hopkins University specializing in biotechnology.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Leonard Cole, what are some possible scenarios of CB terrorism"

2. In what ways is the U.S. government preparing for CB terrorism, according to...