Weaponization and Delivery

The "weaponization" of a toxic chemical–-processing it for use as a weapon–-may include the addition of chemical stabilizers to extend its shelf-life or to facilitate its delivery as an aerosol or spray, or thickeners to make it more persistent.

Even if terrorists manage to produce or acquire CW agents, they must obtain an effective delivery system that can deliver the agent to the target by mechanical, pneumatic (using air pressure), or explosive means.

To inflict mass casualties, terrorists would probably need to spread chemical agents in the form of a concentrated aerosol or spray. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative agency of the U.S. Congress, CW agents "must be released effectively as a vapor, or aerosol, for inhalation exposure, or they need to be in a spray of large droplets for skin penetration. To serve as terrorist weapons, chemical agents require high toxicity and volatility . . . and need to maintain their strength during storage and release." A number of possible delivery systems exist:

• Sprayer Systems: Crop dusters, small airplanes, or helicopters used to spray pesticides on crops could potentially deliver a CW agent. Nevertheless, terrorists seeking to disseminate a nerve agent with a crop duster would have to overcome some major technical problems, including the extreme hazards of handling the lethal agent and the resulting contamination of the aircraft.
• Explosive Dissemination: Terrorists might use an explosive to disperse a CW agent. This method would be limited, however, by the fact that some of the agent would be destroyed in the explosion. Moreover, an explosive delivery system would spread a lethal concentration of the chemical agent over a relatively small area.
• Food and Water Contamination: Although food and water supplies are potentially vulnerable to contamination by toxic chemicals, terrorists could not easily execute this type of attack. In the case of a large urban water supply, the effects of dilution and filtration would make it almost impossible to achieve a lethal level of toxicity. In the case of food supplies, companies take special precautions to prevent contamination during the manufacturing process and food packaging is designed to make tampering after manufacture clearly evident.
  

  Security varies greatly at chemical facilities worldwide

• Attacking or Sabotaging a Chemical Facility: Another form of chemical terrorism would be an attack against or the sabotage of a commercial chemical facility that produces, processes, or stores a highly toxic chemical, resulting in its deliberate release into the atmosphere. Prevailing winds could then carry the released chemicals over a populated area. Terrorists might also use an explosive device to puncture a railroad tank car containing a hazardous chemical such as chlorine or ammonia. . Atmospheric and weather conditions would have to be favorable to achieve a significant effect.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents.
Copyright © 2004 by MIIS.