Chemical and Biological Terrorism Types

Chemical and Biological Terrorism

Types of weaponry

Geopolitical Change

Domestic Terrorism

Increased proliferation of CBRN

Technological Advances

The Doctrine of Escalation

Definition and use

Chemical Weaponry

Use

Biologicals

Use

Overview- the United States has one of the world's most powerful and technological advanced armed forces ever fielded. Yet, in the modern world of terrorism, military superiority alone is no longer sufficient to ensure the safety of the nation. Most scholars and military planners believe that any terrorist group would favor attacks using chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons (CBRN) (Stimson Research, 2009). Chemical and biological weapons, for instance, share a characteristic distinct from nuclear weapons: fairly easily acquired raw materials (for most pathogens or chemicals) that either have legitimate uses or occur naturally. For example:

Global Geopolitical Change -- the end of the Cold War was originally thought to have brought about a safer world. Instead, there is now greater autonomy between terrorist groups, significantly more enemies of organized states, and substate groups that are more independently funded through narcotics trafficking and smuggling. These groups disdain the developed states and, no longer restrained by the polar system of U.S. v USSR are able to operate with more global anonymity.

Growth of Domestic Terrorism -- the United States now faces groups from within who are comprised of ideological and religious zealots, antigovernment cults, and apocalyptic organizations who have been on the fringe for decades, but are now developing more sophistication in their approach to terrorism.

Increased Proliferation of CBRN -- While experts disagree on whether are not the stockpile of CBRN weaponry will be used, they do not disagree that they are available. Additionally, dozens of nations, unfortunately which include most of those designated by the Department of State as being sponsors of terroristic activities, possess the capability of chemical or biological weapons capability. Ironically, some of which is provided by education received in the United States.

Technological Advances -- Advances in science and biotechnology are both promising and dangerous. As research develops, more and more disenfranchised students have access to information that could be used in weaponry. In the chemical industry, for example, a great variety of highly toxic and/or inflammable chemicals are quite common in factories globally. New insights into the pathology of infection diseases and the organisms that cause them could also be channeled into terrorist ideals -- as well as methods to delivery said pathogens to a large audience.

The Internet, travel, and cross-border communication -- Again, rapid advances in global communication have increased the economic prosperity and potential for the entire world. However, by facilitating cross-border communication, increased global communication, and ease of access to information, the modern culture of the Internet often allows those predisposed to terrorism operate globally without fear of reprisal (Culluffo, et.al., 2001).

The Doctrine of Escalation -- One of the ironies within the study of the history and psychology of weapons is that humans, as the only animal on earth with the intelligence to plan his own specie's death, as opposed to individual murder, continues to develop weapons that kill more people faster. It was in 1917, though, that the world became initiated to the horror of chemical agents used in war. Aside from all out nuclear war, the idea of a chemical or biological agent being used on a civilian population places many governments feeling impotent and unprepared. In fact, the news films of the 1988 murder of Iraqi Kurds by order of Saddam Hussein only heightened this horror. This population, ignorant of the facts of chemical terrorism, untrained, unprepared, and ill equipped only heightened the outrage. Perhaps the public has become somewhat desensitized by nuclear war, but the idea of unseen agents loosed in the water supply, or used to burn without fire, causes panic to a greater degree (Tucker, 2008, 112-15).

An interesting paradigm regarding the fear factor involved in chemical and biological terrorism may surround the psychological issues that have surrounded the possibility of nuclear fear for decades, almost desensitizing people to it -- and the thought that they would either be instantly vaporized, or at least face a quick death. With biologics and chemicals, though, the fear is more of slowly dying, sick, bleeding, etc. such as shown in the films Outbreak or the Andromeda Strain (Smithson, 2004).

Chemical Weapons -- Chemical warfare and weaponry is nothing new to the scene of terrorism and war, especially after the advances made during World War I. The destructive effects of chemical weapons are their toxic nature, burning of the skin, eyes, or inhalation into lungs, not their explosive power. They are considered weapons of mass destruction by the United States

government, and are outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 (See: ccwtreaty.state.gov).

Chemical terrorism is terroristic warfare that uses weapons that are chemically based, such as gas, burning agents, or other liquid or gaseous compounds. Unlike the chemical warfare that so terrorized the soldiers in World War I, in which trenched troops shot poisonous shells into each other's trench cities, or gassed whole planes of battle, is it more systematic and targeted. It differs, too, from a military use of such agents against a human population, for example the use of poisons by Sadaam Hussein against his own minority populations. Chemical terrorism is similar in many ways to biological terrorism, but the agents and toxins used operate in a different manner -- chemically induced carnage from the outside of the body as opposed to bioligically induced destruction from the inside of the body moving outward (Taylor, 2001; Falkenrath, et.al., 1998).