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Books

The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism Warns that substandard security at nuclear facilities in Europe, Central Asia, Russia, and Pakistan increases the risk of terrorists seizing highly enriched uranium to make crude, but devastating, nuclear explosives. By Charles D. Ferguson, William C. Potter, Amy Sands, Leonard S. Spector, and Fred L. Wehling. Created: June 18, 2004

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WMD Terrorism

• CNS Researcher Speaks on Nuclear Terrorism at Russian Duma
  On September 27, an international seminar on Countering Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism was held at the Russian State Duma. CNS researcher Cristina Chuen provides an overview of the presentations and recommendations made at the event.
  A CNS Research Story by Cristina Chuen.
  Created: October 5, 2007

• From the Horse's Mouth: Unraveling Al-Qa`ida's Target Selection Calculus
  Al-Qa`ida’s primarily selects economic targets to derail the American economy, to sever American and Muslim alliances, and to remove all Western influence from the Middle East.
  A CNS Research Story by Sammy Salama and David Wheeler
  Created: April 17, 2007

• Recent Weapons Grade Uranium Smuggling Case: Nuclear Materials are Still on the Loose
  Recent reports of the seizure of weapons-grade uranium from traffickers in Georgia raise concerns about poor cooperation against nuclear terrorism.
  A CNS Research Story
  Created: January 26, 2007

• Special Report: Manual for Producing Chemical Weapon to Be Used in New York Subway Plot Available on Al-Qaeda Websites Since Late 2005
  an article by Sammy Salama for WMD Insights.
  Created: July 21, 2006

• WMD Commission Report
  The WMD Commission Chairman Hans Blix recently presented the Commission's report to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The full report is available on the WMDC website. CNS researchers contributed numerous papers and studies to the proceedings of the Commission.
  Created: June 23, 2006

• The real chemical threat
  An op-ed by Paul F. Walker and Jonathan B. Tucker for the Los Angeles Times.
  Created: April 7, 2006

• Does Intent Equal Capability? Al-Qaeda and Weapons of Mass Destruction (PDF format)
  A report by Sammy Salama and Lydia Hansell for the Fall-Winter 2005 issue of The Nonproliferation Review.
  Created: February 10, 2006

• Chart: Al-Qa`ida's WMD Activities
  The following table provides a comprehensive listing of reports concerning al-Qa`ida's involvement with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons in the period between 1997 and 2005.
  Updated: April 22, 2005
  Created: December 22, 2002

• Osmium Tetroxide - a New Chemical Terrorism Weapon?
  Serving legitimate functions in biological research and in specialized chemical industry, osmium tetroxide's suitability as a terrorist agent - a dual use compound - is limited, despite the characterizations of it generating "chemical fallout."
  CNS Research Story by Michelle Baker and Dr. Margaret E. Kosal.
  Created: April 13, 2004

• Chronology of Incidents Involving Ricin
  The use of ricin, a deadly toxin derived from the castor bean, marks the second case in three years where someone has sent mail containing a toxic substance to the offices of the country's most senior lawmakers.
  Created: February 3, 2004

• The Historical Roots of Current Terrorist Tactics and Methods
  To best understand these tactics, one needs to return to the roots of the Shi'i-Sunni conflict and explore how early Islamic history continues to impact the attitudes and religious interpretations of militant extremist Islamist groups.
  Research Story of the Week by Sammy Salama and Kathleen Thompson.
  Week of November 21, 2003

• 2002 Conventional Terrorism Chronology: Incidents Involving Sub-National Actors Resulting in Death or Injury (PDF format)
  By Wayne Turnbull
  Created: September 15, 2003

• 2002 WMD Terrorism Chronology: Incidents Involving Sub-National Actors and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Materials (PDF format)
  By Wayne Turnbull and Praveen Abhayaratne.
  This chronology covers incidents worldwide involving criminal or ideological motivations, including hoaxes and pranks.
  Created: August 15, 2003

• Ricin Found in London: An al-Qa`ida Connection?
  In January, British authorities arrested seven men suspected of producing ricin in their north London apartment. At least one had attended an al-Qa`ida training camp in Afghanistan.
  Created: January 23, 2002

• Islamist Terrorist Threat in the Tri-Border Region
  The tri-border region of South America received little attention as a locus of terrorist activity despite a recent history of Islamist terrorist activity. But this region, which already has a history of mass casualty Islamic terrorism, is also an area of concern.
  An issue brief by Jeffrey Fields for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
  Created: October 9, 2002

• "Suitcase Nukes": A Reassessment
  Attention to portable nuclear devices ("suitcase nukes") peaked in 1997-early 1998 following well-publicized allegations that an unknown number of these weapons could not be accounted for. This paper assesses the threat that a number of them could have fallen into the hands of terrorists or states that support them.
  Research Story of the Week.
  Week of September 23, 2002

• 2001 WMD Terrorism Chronology
  By Adam Dolnik and Jason Pate.
  This chronology covers incidents worldwide involving criminal or ideological motivations, including hoaxes and pranks.
  Created: September 18, 2002

• "Dirty Bomb" Threat Awakens Dormant Disarmament Conference
  "If an international institution's efficiency is partly determined by its ability to respond to external shocks and crises, the Jose Padilla controversy may help revive the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD)."
  Research Story of the Week by Daniil Kobyakov and Nicolas Florquin.
  Created: August 28, 2002

• The Real Sum of All Fears
  An op-ed for the Los Angeles Times by William Potter and Leonard Spector.
  Created: June 11, 2002

• Occasional Paper #8
  After 9/11: Preventing Mass-Destruction Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation
  Michael Barletta, ed.
  The papers in this collection examine the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, and analyze U.S. and international responses to 9/11. They also propose measures to avert terrorism and to reduce mass-destruction threats to U.S. and international security.
  Created: June 6, 2002

• "Keeping Track of Anthrax: The Case for a Biosecurity Convention,"
  An article by Michael Barletta, Amy Sands, and Jonathan B. Tucker, for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
  Created: June 5, 2002

• Major Conventional Terrorist Incidents 1980s to 2000
  Updated: May 29, 2002
  Created: September 11, 2001

• "Would They If They Could?"
  An article on WMD terrorism by Gary Ackerman and Laura Snyder for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
  Created: May 1, 2002

• Deconstructing the Chem-Bio Threat
  Testimony by Amy Sands for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  Created: April 1, 2002

• Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen
  A new book by Eric Croddy.
  Created: 13 December 2001

• Testimony of Leonard S. Spector
  The November 14, 2001 testimony of Leonard S. Spector before the Subcommittee on International Security, Nonproliferation, and Federal Services, on improving the effectiveness of U.S. nonproliferation programs in the successor states of the former Soviet Union.

• Future Security Threats & Capabilities
  Listen to a Commonwealth Club talk with Jason Pate (Scroll down to recent forums).

• CBW Terrorism Additional Resources
  Created: 22 October 2001

• Anthrax: Background Report
  Created: 10 October 2001

• Roundtable on the Implications of the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks for Nonproliferation and Arms Control
  A special report for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 8.3.
  Created: Fall-Winter 2001

• Strengthening Nuclear Security Against Terrorists and Thieves Through Better Training (PDF format)
  A report for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 8.3.
  by George Bunn, Fritz Steinhausler, and Lyudmila Zaitseva
  Created: Fall-Winter 2001

• Overview of Weapons of Mass Destruction Capabilities in the Middle East and South Asia
  If the United States starts military actions against either Afghanistan or Iraq, its forces will be operating in a region of the world where many countries have weapons of mass destruction (WMD), or are seeking to develop them.
  Created 14 September 2001

• United States Seeks Pakistan's Assistance
  Attention is turning to the role Pakistan can play in assisting a U.S. military strike on Afghanistan and in capturing alleged terrorist leader Usama Bin Laden.
  Created 14 September 2001

• February 1993 Bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City
  "The February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City marked the beginning of an ugly new phase of terrorism involving the indiscriminate killing of civilians."
  Created 12 September 2001

• Issues and Analysis: Assessing the Threat of WMD Terrorism
  Jason Pate and Gary Ackerman
  Created 11 September 2001

• 2000 WMD Terrorism Chronology: Incidents Involving Sub-National Actors and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear Materials
  Jason Pate, Gary Ackerman, and Kimberly McCloud
  This chronology covers incidents worldwide involving criminal or ideological motivations, including hoaxes and pranks.
  Created 30 April 2000

• Bioterrorism: Legal Initiatives for Prevention/Deterrence
  Washington D.C. Office 2001 Briefing Series, April 17, 2001.
  Created: 2001

• Will We Be Ready?"
  "Whether it's a bioterrorist hoax or the real thing, Canada is unprepared." An op-ed by Gary Ackerman and Jeffrey Allan for The Globe and Mail.
  Created: 16 March 2001

• Chronology of Aum Shinrikyo's CBW Activities
  "Six years ago, on March 20, 1995, five members of the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) boarded subway trains in Tokyo, Japan, and released the deadly chemical nerve agent sarin." A report by Tim Ballard, Jason Pate, Gary Ackerman, and Sean Lawson.
  Updated: 15 March 2001
  Created: 13 March 2001

• Allegations of WMD Terrorism
  Washington D.C. Office 2001 Briefing Series, March 13, 2001.
  Created: 2001

• WMD Terrorism and Usama Bin Laden
  "The current trial of Usama Bin Laden and others for the August 7, 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar al-Salaam, Tanzania, has shed new light on the efforts of Bin Laden and his terrorist organization, Al-Qa'ida ("The Base"), to acquire weapons of mass destruction."
  Updated: 14 March 2001
  Created: 7 March 2001

• 1999 WMD Terrorism Chronology: Incidents Involving Sub-National Actors and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Materials
  by Gavin Cameron, Jason Pate, Diana McCauley, & Lindsay DeFazio, Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 2000

• Mass Casualty Terrorism: Myths & Realities
  Washington D.C. Office 2000 Briefing Series, April 14, 2000.
  Created: 2000

  Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons
  Created: April 2000

• Assessing the Risk of Chemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation to Terrorists
  Jean Pascal Zanders, Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 6, No. 4, Fall 1999

• "Historical Trends Related to Bioterrorism: An Empirical Analysis," Emerging Infectious Diseases, July/August 1999
  by Jonathan B. Tucker

• Are Suitcase Nukes on the Loose?
  A paper analyzing Alexander Lebed's claim that 100 suitcase-sized atomic weapons were unaccounted for in the Russian nuclear arsenal.
  Created: July 1998

• Information Warfare: Hype or Reality? (PDF format)
  A viewpoint for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 6.3.
  by E. Anders Eriksson.
  Created: Spring-Summer 1999

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U.S. Domestic Preparedness and Response to Terrorism

• Literature Review of Existing Terrorist Behavior Modeling (PDF format, 1.7 MB)
  Created: February 21, 2006

• Art or Bioterrorism? The Implications of the Kurtz Case
  In the war against terrorism, neither art, science, nor democracy should be an unintended casualty.
  CNS Research Story by Margaret E. Kosal.
  Created: July 27

• Bioterrorism Threat Assessment and Risk Management Workshop (PDF format)
  Final Report and Commentary presented to the U.S. Department of Energy on June 24, 2003 by Raymond A. Zilinskas (Rapporteur).
  Created: August 15, 2003

• Biosecurity Measures for Preventing Bioterrorism
  This essay and the companion research collection provide an introduction to biosecurity measures, a key element among policy efforts to address the threat of bioterrorism.
  Research Story of the Week by Michael Barletta.
  Created: November 25, 2002

• Legislative Response to Potential Bioterrorist Threat
  On June 12, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the "Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002." The new law seeks to significantly increase America's ability to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to bioterrorism in an efficient and coordinated manner.
  Research Story of the Week by Kristin Thompson.
  Created: July 12, 2002

• Vaccinate Saddam Against Invasion?
  An Op-Ed for the International Herald Tribune by Leonard S. Spector.
  Created: June 10, 2002

• Anthrax And Mass-Casualty Terrorism: What is the Bioterrorist Threat After September 11?
  An article by Jason Pate for the U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, Vol. 6, No. 3, November 2001.
  Created: November 29, 2001

• Future Security Threats & Capabilities
  Listen to a Commonwealth Club talk with Jason Pate (Scroll down to recent forums).

• Improving Infectious Disease Surveillance to Combat Bioterrorism and Natural Emerging Infections
  Testimony by Jonathan B. Tucker, Ph.D, before the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
  Created: 8 October 2001

• Assessing the Threat of Mass-Casualty Bioterrorism
  The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have shown that the threat of mass-casualty terrorism has reached the United States. The subsequent series of anthrax letters has demonstrated that biological terrorism is a reality. These two developments—mass-casualty attacks and the use of biological agents—have signaled a new era in terrorism in the United States. An issue brief by Jason Pate and Gary Ackerman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
  Updated: October 2001

• Special Section on the September 11, 2001, Attacks: Interview with Ambassador Robert G. Joseph
  An interview for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 8.3.
  by Leonard S. Spector
  Created: Fall-Winter 2001

• U.S. Federal Funding to Combat Terrorism
  Lists funding to various federal agencies in order to combat terrorism, including defense against weapons of mass destruction.

• Better Plan Needed for Curbing Epidemics
  "Even though the United States has the most extensive disease surveillance and response system in the world, there are gaps in its ability to detect outbreaks early, as the 1999 West Nile virus outbreak illustrated." An Op-Ed for Newsday by Jason Pate.
  Created: 7 December 2000

• America and the "New Terrorism": Reassessing the Threat
  Washington D.C. Office 2000 Briefing Series, August 9, 2000.
  Created: 2000

• Combating Terrorism: Assessing Threats, Risk Management, and Establishing Priorities
  Testimony by John Parachini before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations.
  Updated: 2 August 2000
  Created: 27 July 2000

• Combating Terrorism: Assessing the Threat
  Congressional Testimony by John V. Parachini
  Created: 25 October 1999

• Assessing the Threat of Bioterrorism
  Congressional Testimony by Raymond Zilinskas
  Created: 24 October 1999

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Terrorist Group Profiles

In light of the U.S. focus on Afghanistan and the Taliban in connection with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, CNS has developed profiles of selected terrorist organizations operating in Afghanistan.

• Chart: Al-Qa`ida's WMD Activities
  The following table provides a comprehensive listing of reports concerning al-Qa`ida's involvement with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons in the period between 1997 and 2005.
  Updated: April 22, 2005
  Created: December 22, 2002

• Al-Qa`ida and Weapons of Mass Destruction
  The world's media have reported no less than 56 separate incidents involving al-Qa`ida and WMD, 36 of which have come to light since September 2001.
  Created: December 31, 2002

• Debunk the myth of Al Qaeda
• WMD Terrorism and Usama Bin Laden
• Al-Qaida
• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)
• Al-Jihad al-Islami
• Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya

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Terrorism Chronologies

• 2002 Conventional Terrorism Chronology

• WMD Terrorism Chronologies:
  2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

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Agroterrorism

• Agroterrorism Resource Page
  Resources on Agroterrorism, including state-programs and chronology of incidents involving agroterrorism since 1915.

• Biological Terrorism Targeted at Agriculture: The Threat to US National Security (PDF Format)
  A viewpoint for the Nonproliferation Review, CNS, Vol. 7.3.
  by Rocco Casagrande
  Created: Fall-Winter 2000

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Terrorism Database

The Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program (CBWNP) at CNS systematically monitors incidents around the world involving the acquisition and/or use by sub-state actors of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), defined as chemical, biological, or nuclear materials.

If you are interested in obtaining further information about the databases, including subscription rates and terms, please contact Yavuz Atila, Database Manager at:

E-mail: cnsdb@miis.edu
Phone: +1 (831) 647-3580 [Pacific time]
Fax: +1 (831) 647-3519

Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Monterey Institute of International Studies
460 Pierce Street
Monterey, CA 93940, USA

• Web: http://cns.miis.edu

Further Resources: Chemical and Biological Weapons Resource Page