The New Face of Terrorism : Threats From Weapons of Mass Destruction

"Anthrax, smallpox, sarin, blister, blood and choking agents - the list of potential weapons of mass destruction is enormous and varied. It was once thought that technological problems would prevent terrorists developing these weapons whilst moral issues would stop them using them. That has now changed. The technical and organizational sophistication of the attacks on 11th September 2001 heralds a new era in the age-old war against terrorism. After these attacks, attention focused on the activities and capacities of Islamic extremist groups, such as Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda organisation, but the reality is that terrorist threats could come from almost any quarter. This revised edition is the comprehensive and sobering account of the possibilities - technological and political."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

this Volume Addresses The Threat Of Nuclear, Biological, Or Chemical (nbc) Weapon Attacks By Non-state-sponsored Terrorists And By Nations. The Authors Look At The Political Incentives And Disincentives To Use Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Explore The Technical Capabilities Available For Nbc Weapons, And Discuss Diplomatic And Other Efforts To Reduce The Risk. The Authors Attempt To Deal With All Of The Possibilities, Laudably Avoiding Scare Tactics Concentrating On Muslims Or Saddam Hussein Exclusively. Distributed By Palgrave. Annotation C. Book News, Inc.,portland, Or

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examines And Assesses The New Style Of Terrorism By Small Groups, Cults And Individuals With Access To Chemical, Nuclear Or Biological Weapons. The Authors Follow The Reasons And Methods For The Emergence Of Massively Destructive Terrorism, Evaluate Its Strategic And Tactical Uses As Well As Its Problems (from A Terrorist's Perspective), And Offers Information And Opinions On The Increasing Problem Of State-sponsored Terrorism. Argues That While It Is Counterproductive To Exaggerate The Threat, Governments Need To Be Vigilant In Squelching The Flow Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction In The Face Of A Possible Doomsday Disaster. Appendix Lists Known Cases Of Biological, Nuclear And Chemical Terrorism Or Threats Thereof. Distributed By Palgrave. Annotation C. Book News, Inc., Portland, Or (booknews.com)

List of Abbreviations -- Preface to the Revised Edition -- The Emergence of the NBC Terrorism Debate -Trends in Terrorist Activity -- Technical Opportunities and Constraints -- Strategic and Tactical Motivations and Disincentives to Using NBC Weapons -- Political Disincentives to Using NBC Weapons -- Political and Theological Motivations to Using NBC Weapons -- Psychological Motivations and Inhibitory Controls -- External Motivations: State-Sponsored NBC Terrorism -- External Constraints: The Security Environment Created by Government Counter-Measures -- The Future -- Appendix 1: Database of Biological, Chemical and Nuclear Terrorist Incidents -- Appendix 2: Bibliography 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 Ladens al-Qaeda organization, but the reality is that terrorist threats could come from almost any quarter. "In the aftermath of September 11th, one huge question looms: what next? [This book] is the comprehensive and sobering account of the possibilities--technological and political. It addresses the possible means of attack, as well as the quarters from which these might come: questions, since terror's victims are civilians, which affect us all too directly."--Page 4 of cover. Throughout history, chemical and biological (CBW) weapons have been used by politically motivated individuals and groups, for purposes such as assassinations and generating terror.