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U.S. government
authorities can take the following measures to reduce the risk of chemical
terrorism:
Control Sales
of Precursor Chemicals
The federal government should tighten restrictions on the sale by commercial
suppliers to private individuals (U.S. citizens or foreigners) of dual-use
chemicals that could serve as precursors for CW agents. Although the
United States controls the export of precursor chemicals to countries
of CW proliferation concern, domestic sales of these chemicals are not
currently regulated.
Improve Federal-State Cooperation
Federal law enforcement agencies such as
the
FBI and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) should strengthen their cooperation
with state and local law enforcement agencies by sharing classified
information when it could be relevant to uncovering plans of a terrorist
attack.
Reduce the Vulnerability of High-Profile Targets
The federal government should take steps
to reduce the vulnerability to chemical terrorism of certain
high-profile targets such as federal office buildings. Building managers
should ensure that ventilation systems cannot be tampered with, and
chemical detector alarms can be placed inside and around high-profile
buildings.
Increase Security at Chemical Plants
Thousands of chemical plants throughout
the United States use, produce, or store toxic substances for commercial
purposes. In some cases, the release of a toxic chemical could put many
thousands of people at risk of severe injury or even death. In March
2003, GAO found that in the United States, more than 700 chemical
facilities working with highly toxic chemicals are located close enough
to populated areas so that a terrorist attack against the plant could
endanger at least 100,000 lives.
An incident of deliberate sabotage
took place on February 28, 2000 at a chemical plant near the town of
Pleasant Hill, Missouri. At about 4:00 a.m., an unknown individual
opened a valve on a storage tank, allowing about 200 gallons of
anhydrous ammonia to leak out. The resulting cloud of toxic vapor spread
through the downtown area, forcing the evacuation of more than 250
residents. Although the perpetrator was unknown, the motive in this case
was probably criminal rather than terrorist. The facility manager
speculated that the individual may have wanted ammonia to produce the
illegal drug methamphetamine.
Although a few states such as New
Jersey have passed stringent chemical security legislation for plants
that work with highly toxic chemicals, the Bush administration has
adopted more lenient federal regulations that, it claims, trump the
state-level rules. In addition, the chemical industry has resisted
proposals to change its manufacturing processes so as to reduce the
number and types of toxic chemicals produced or stored on-site. Given
the threat of terrorist attack and sabotage, however, more needs to be
done to enhance chemical plant security, particularly in densely
populated urban areas.
Enhance International
Cooperation
UN General Assembly
Terrorism in recent years has taken
on a transnational dimension, with branches of terrorist networks
extending into several countries. For this reason, international
cooperation is essential in such areas as intelligence sharing,
joint counterterrorism operations, sanctions against state sponsors
of terrorism, and halting the flow of money to terrorists.
The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC), which entered into force in April 1997,
is an important international instrument for combating the
spread of chemical weapons. In addition to banning the development,
production, stockpiling, and transfer of chemical weapons, the CWC
offers member states protective assistance in the event that they
are the victim of a chemical attack.
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