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Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. |
Acquiring weapons for the
defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons,
then I thank God for enabling me to do so. And if I seek to acquire these
weapons, I am carrying out a duty. It would be a sin for Muslims not to try to
possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from inflicting harm on
Muslims.
—Osama bin Laden
The devastating attacks of September 11, 2001 increased global concerns about mass casualty terrorism. In a single day, terrorists demonstrated their willingness to kill thousands of innocent people, cause billions of dollars of physical and economic damage, and wreak untold psychological harm. Similarly, the September 2004 Beslan school siege in Russia demonstrated terrorists’ willingness to target vulnerable populations, including children.
Other tutorials in this series explore why terrorists may attempt to use chemical, biological, or radiological weapons to cause mass casualties. The greatest danger to the public, however, emerges from the increased potential for terrorists to pursue terrorism with nuclear explosives.
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