Non-Conventional Forms of Terrorism

Non-Conventional Terrorism The proliferation of non-conventional weapons has contributed to the increase of the threat of non-conventional terror in the recent past. This has come at a time when there are various efforts towards the war on terrorism, which is a major security threat across the globe. Terrorists have now turned to non-conventional options because of the increased access to materials that enable them to develop chemical, biological or nuclear devices.

These devices are in turn used to plan and carry out attacks that are aimed at killing thousands or millions of individuals or groups. There are various types of non-conventional terrorism including Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), biotoxins, anthrax, germ warfare installations, chemical weapons, and gas attacks. The most difficult non-conventional terrorism to plan and to execute is Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). While WMDs have been used by several groups, warriors, and countries for several years, the likelihood of terrorists to use them cannot be evaluated (Combs, 2012, p.332).

This is primarily because there is no background of past use of WMDs by other people or groups engaged in intense struggles. The difficulty in planning and executing this type of non-conventional attack is because all forms of weapons of mass destructions are not only challenging to obtain but also difficult to successfully deploy. Even though WMDs offer terrorists the psychological impact they pursue, the high probability of failure makes them less attractive tools in terrorism.

Despite WMDs proving technologically challenging to plan and execute because of the high risk of failure, they would be the most likely to be used if a non-conventional attack is to take place in the predictable future. According to Lowther (2008), the greatest security danger facing the United States is the likelihood of Weapons of Mass Destruction (p.95). The United States is increasingly susceptible to the likelihood of detonation of a nuclear weapon in one of its major cities.

The attack is likely to be politically motivated and occur because of the increase development of Weapons of Mass Destruction by terrorist groups and some countries in Asia. The probability of a WMD terror attack on the United States in the foreseeable future is also fueled by increased technological advancements that enable terrorists to develop sophisticated tools and measures of carrying out their activities. There are two assumptions or theoretical viewpoints that have been used in exploring non-conventional terrorism.

The first assumption is the belief that terrorists would not use these non-conventional weapons because of the potential of counter attacks on a sponsor state. This assumption is based on the premise that these individuals are rational actors who are unwilling.