Resources on Terrorism

The Best Resources on Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Terrorism

A Fatwa on Using Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons Against Infidels

Saudi Cleric Shaykh Nasir Bin Hamd Al-Fahd concludes that the use of weapons of mass destruction is permissible under Islamic Law. In a fatwa issued in May 2003, he argues that the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons is considered unlawful by infidels, and that their laws and treaties have no standing in Islamic law. Within Islamic law however, Al-Fahd finds exceptions to the precepts that direct jihadis "to kill in a good manner," not to kill women and children, not to kill other Muslims and not to corrupt the land. Al-Fahd uses the pronouncements of historical Islamic jurists and cites the damage American bombs have done to Muslim lands, to legitimize the use of WMDs.

In November 2003, after his arrest by Saudi authorities, Al-Fahd appeared on Saudi TV and rescinded some of his previous fatwas as mistakes. It is not clear if this is one of them.

"Dirty Bombs"

What is a Dirty Bomb?- From Deadly Arsenals
GAO Report: "U.S. Efforts to Help Other Countries Combat Nuclear Smuggling Need Strengthened Coordination and Planning," 26 June 2002 (pdf)
"Dirty Bombs and Basement Nukes: The Terrorist Nuclear Threat," Statment by Henry Kelly, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 6 March 2002
"Dirty Bombs and Basement Nukes: The Terrorist Nuclear Threat" Statement by Senator Joseph Biden, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 6 March 2002
"The Sum of All Nuclear Fears," Carnegie Proliferation Brief, Volume 5, Number 10, 30 May 2002
"Nuclear Terrorism and Warhead Control In Russia," by Jon Wolfsthal and Tom Collina, Arms Control Today, April 2002
The Demand for Black Market Fissile Material," Carnegie Analysis by Matt Bunn, 6 November 2001

Carnegie Fissile Material Resource Page

Government Resources

"Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends," CRS Report, Updated 8 September 2005
" Worst Weapons In Worst Hands: U.S. Inaction On The Nuclear Terror Threat Since 9/11, And A Path Of Action"
The National Security Advisory Group, July 2005
"U.S.-EU Declaration on Enhancing Cooperation in the Field of Non-Proliferation and the Fight Against Terrorism," the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 20 June 2005
"United States Report to the Nonproliferation Committee--Efforts Regarding United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540," Department of State Bureau of Nonproliferation, 27 September 2004
"Nuclear Terrorism: A Brief Review of Threats and Responses," CRS Report, 22 September 2004
"9-11 Commission Report," National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 22 July 2004 (pdf)
"Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 Annual Report,"U.S. Department of State, 21 May 2002
CRS Report:"Terrorism: Automated Lookout Systems and Border Security Options and Issues", by William J. Krouse and Raphael F. Purl, 18 June 2001
"Patterns of Global Terrorism-2000 Annual Report," U.S. Department of State, April 2001
United States Government Interagency Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan, January 2001

Congressional Reports and Testimony

"The Day After an Attack, What Would We Wish We Had Done? Why Aren't We Doing It Now?"
Testimony by Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Before the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, 27 June 2005
"Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends," Congressional Research Service, 8 June 2005
"Nuclear Power Plants: Vulnerability to Terrorist Attack," updated 4 February 2005
"Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends," 21 December 2004
GAO Report: U.S. Efforts to Help Other Countries Combat Nuclear Smuggling Need Strengtened Coordination and Planning, 26 June 2002(pdf)
"Dirty Bombs and Basement Nukes: The Terrorist Nuclear Threat" Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, 6 March 2002 ( file requires RealPlayer)
GAO Testimony: Bioterrorism: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Role in Public Health Protection, 15 November 2001 (pdf)
GAO Testimony: Homeland Security: Challenges and Strategies in Addressing Short- and Long-Term National Needs, 7 November 2001 (pdf)
GAO Report: Combating Terrorism: Consideration for Investing Resources in Chemical and Biological Preparedness, statement by Henry L. Hinton, 17 October 2001 (pdf)
GAO Testimony: Bioterrorism: Review of Public Health Preparedness Programs, 10 October 2001
GAO Testimony: Bioterrorism: Public Health and Medical Preparedness, 9 October 2001 (pdf)
GAO Testimony: Bioterrorism: Coordination and Preparedness, 5 October 2001 (pdf)
Homeland Security: A Framework for Addressing the Nation's Efforts, testimony by David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, 21 September 2001 (pdf)
CRS Report: "Terrorism: Near Eastern Groups and State Sponsors, 2001" by Kenneth Katzman,10 September 2001
Combating Terrorism: In Search of a National Strategy, by Bruce Hoffman, RAND, presented to the House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations, 27 March 2001 (pdf)

The Reports of the U.S. Commission on National Security in the 21st Century (Hart-Rudman):

Phase III: Road Map for National Security: Imperative for Change, 15 March 2001
Phase II: Seeking a National Strategy: A Concert for Preserving Security and Promoting Freedom, 19 April 2000
Phase I: New World Coming: American Security in the 21st Century, September 1999
The Worldwide Threat 2004: Challenges in a Changing Global Context, testimony of George Tenet, Senate Armed Services Committee, 9 March 2004 (pdf)
The Worldwide Threat 2001: National Security in a Changing World, testimony of Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 7 February 2001
Global Threats and Challenges Through 2015, statement by Vice Admiral Thomas R. Wilson Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 7 February 2001
Military Threats and Security Challenges Through 2015, Briefing by Vice Admiral Thomas R. Wilson, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 2 February 2000 (pdf)

Non-Governmental Organization Research

"Unmanned Air Vehicles as Terror Weapons: Real or Imagined?," Dennis M. Gormley, Senior Fellow, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, July 2005
"Bioterrorism: What is the Real Threat?"
Science and Technology Report No. 3 by Professor Malcolm Dando, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, March 2005
"All Tools at Our Disposal: Addressing Nuclear Nonproliferation in a Post-9/11 World," House Policy Committee, 28 January 2005
"The Post 9/11 Partnership: Transatlantic Cooperation Against Terrorism," Report of an Atlantic Council delegation to Europe on the future of E.U.-U.S. cooperation against terrorism, December 2004
"Nuclear Terrorism: The Danger of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)," Pugwash Issue Brief, September 2002 (pdf)
"Would They If They Could?"by Gary Ackerman & Laura Snyder, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, May/ June 2002
"The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism: From Analysis to Precautionary Measures" by Mycle Schneider, delivered to the Democracies Faced With Mass Terrorism Meeting, Paris, France, 10 December 2001 (pdf file, requires Adobe Acrobat)
IAEA Special Session on Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Stronger Global Measures Seen to Protect Nuclear Material, Facilities Against Potential Acts of Terrorism, 2 November 2001
"What if the Terrorists Go Nuclear?" by Bruce Blair, Terrorism Project, Center for Defense Information, 1 October 2001
"Guarding Nuclear Reactors and Materials from Terrorists and Thieves," by George Bunn and Fritz Steinhausler, Arms Control Today, October 2001
"The War on Terrorism and the Future of Multilateral Arms Control," by Brad Roberts, Institute for Defense Analyses, delivered an international conference on the future of chemical and biological arms control at Wilton Park, Wiston House, Sussex, UK, 30 September 2001
Defending America: Terrorist Organizations and States and Weapons of Mass Destruction, by Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS, 24 September 2001 (pdf)
The Terror, by Philip C. Wilcox, Current Analysis from the Foundation for Middle East Peace, 19 September 2001
Super-Terrorism: An Immediate Threat to the World, by Vladimir Orlov and Anton Khlopkov of the PIR Center for Policy Studies, 13 September 2001 (pdf)
America's Worst Nightmare? Osama Bin Laden and Weapons of Mass Destruction, by Adam Dolnik of the PIR Center for Policy Studies, 12 September 2001 (pdf)

Additional reports can be found at the Homeland Defense Program at CSIS

Articles and Opinions

"The Seven Myths of Nuclear Terrorism," Matthew Bunn and Anthony Wier, article in Current History, April 2005
"The Man Who Sold the Bomb," Special Report by Time Magazine, from the February 14, 2005 issue
"The Other Nuke Nightmare," Special Report by Time Magazine, from the February 14, 2005 issue
"Khan's Dangerous Game," map of the Khan network by Time Magazine, from the February 14, 2005 issue

"Fighting Anthrax: a Cold Warrior's Confession" by Victor Israelyan, Washington Quarterly, Spring 2002
"Pakistan Nuclear Capabilities," a segment from NPR's "Morning Edition" show featuring Mike Schuster, Robert Einhorn, and Strobe Talbot, 7 November 2001 (requires Realplayer)
America's New War: Nuclear Threats, transcript from Greenfield at Large on CNN, featuring remarks by Associate Jon Wolfsthal, 1 November 2001
"Coalition of the Unwilling," a Washington Post Op-ed by Carnegie Associate Robert Kagan, 16 October 2001
"Non-Proliferation Policy and the War on Terrorism," by John Parachini, Arms Control Today, October 2001
also by Ehud Sprinzak "Revisiting the Superterrorism Debate," September-October 2001 and "Rational Fanatics," September-October 2000

Nonproliferation

Resources on Terrorism