Charles Feer WMD Instructor Center for Domestic Preparedness Instructor of Criminal Justice Bakersfield College

 Have been around since the 1700s  United Nations classifies three types of WMD  1) Chemical  2) Biological  3) Nuclear

 Use various chemical substances, dispersed in liquid, vapor and gas or aerosol form.  Cause sickness, paralysis, unconsciousness or death as a result of physical contact or inhalation.

 Biological Warfare, also known as Germ Warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease-causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war.  It is meant to incapacitate or kill an adversary.  The level of damage depends primarily on the biological agent’s transmissibility, lethality and susceptibility to countermeasures.

 Derive energy from the nuclear reactions of fission and/or fusion to produce large explosions and hazardous radioactive materials.  Nuclear weapons can be delivered by artillery, plane, ship, ballistic missile, etc. and can be either tactical or strategic weapons.  Radiation and radioactive debris affect large populations in surrounding areas, depending on weather conditions.

 Also called “dirty bombs” (a type of nuclear weapon) and radiological dispersion devices designed to spread radioactive contamination consisting of a nuclear or conventional explosive and causing radiation sickness, cancer, death and contamination to the target.

 Extremist organizations continue to seek to acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction.  “Terrorist are seeking to get access to facilities and technologies of chemical and bacteriological weapons, radioactive, toxic agents and biological formulas.”  According to Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

 Osama Bin Laden has made no secret of his intention to use a weapon of mass destruction.  He has proclaimed it a “religious duty” for Muslim states to acquire nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to attack the West.  Insurgents have increased their expertise in making homemade bombs in Afghanistan, thereby adding to the prospect of a “dirty bomb”.

 If smugglers can smuggle drugs and people into America…  Terrorist groups will smuggle trained terrorists and transport WMDs into the U.S.  “Terrorist groups including al-Qaeda are pursuing the materials to build a nuclear weapon and we know that they have the intent to use one.”  According to Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser.

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the U.N. Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland and called for immediate global action, to prevent nuclear bomb-making fissile material from falling into the hands of terrorists.  1993 an al-Qaeda defector (who became a FBI source) revealed that bin Laden tried to buy uranium in Sudan.  2007 video, bin Laden repeated his promise to use WMD to destroy capitalism and help create an Islamic caliphate.

 There are 430 nuclear power reactors in operation in 32 countries.  Radioactive materials are also used extensively in medicine, agriculture, research, manufacturing, non-destructive testing and minerals exploration.  On average, 20 million consignments of all sizes containing radioactive materials are routinely transported worldwide annually on public roads, railways and ships.