Preparing for Future Terrorism Responses - Research Paper Example

Preparing for Future Terrorism Responses Chemical Attack – Aum Shinrikyo Numerous reports that have examined the Aum Shinrikyo cult’s terrorism attacks in Japan have indicated that it is practically difficult to develop and use pathogens as a terror weapon. The weapon that was used on the Tokyo subway in March 1995 killed eight people and injured many people. This substance was developed by cult leader in an attempt to create a biological weapon (Williams and Viotti, 2012). Despite the failure of this chemical weapon, it introduced the world into another form of terrorism. In fact, this attack is among the main avenues that enlightened the world of the 2001 anthrax letter. Moreover, it increased the public attention and spending towards combating biological terrorism (Maniscalco and Christen, 2011). Naturally, since the Aum Shinrikyo attack, the United States has spent billions of dollars to protect and defend the world from other similar, possible attacks. The research and interviews conducted following the Aum Shinrikyo experience revealed processes and the intensions of making this substance. The Japanese police never considered the attack an act of terror and their investigation mainly focused on collecting evidence against Aum Shinrikyo and other cult members in the court case. However, Richard Danzig, a former Navy Secretary, and his team investigated the crime as an act of terrorism. The Danzig’s team realized that the weapon was made by Aum (Williams and Viotti, 2012). This substance was used because it was easily accessible and the process or method was thought to be an easier method to kill massively as compared to other biological methods. Danzig and his team further revealed what prompted to the manufacture of chemical. The cult got into violence under its founder Shoko Asahara after he lost the February 1990 parliamentary election (Richardson, 2004). After the outcome of the election, Shoko Asahara ordered his deputy to obtain Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces a vital or lethal botulinum toxin (Williams and Viotti, 2012). Keeping to its belief of self-reliance, a cult member Seiicho Endo opted to extract the bacteria from the ground. He later divided and propagated the bacteria into two cubes shaped fermenter. Despite the fact of the exact amount they prepared, the report indicated that they made a large amount of a yellow liquid mainly from the growth media (Maniscalco and Christen, 2011). However, they did not attempt to separate the toxin substance from the media. Despite the cult’s attempt to terrorize the public in numerous occasions, their weapon did not work to their expectation (Richardson, 2004). They used three trucks to spray their product on the United States’ Naval buses, the Japanese Diet, Narita airport, the headquarters, and the Imperial Palace of a rival group. Despite these efforts, no one died, and the attack was unnoticed (Williams and Viotti, 2012). Moreover, one of the cult’s members fell into the fermenting tank, but the disease never affected him. However, the use of sarin in the train in liquid form affected numerous passengers. As the train pulled into the station, many passengers staggered out of the train as some of them collapsed following the effects of the poison. This target group was quite vulnerable since they were defenseless and were found in a large number in a confinement in the morning rush hour (Richardson, 2004). The incident found the emergency workers prepared. They erected tents at the scene outside the subway station were the affected patients attended before being taken to hospitals (Williams and Viotti, 2012). The patients of this attack were characterized by bubbles coming out of the mouth while others poured blood from their noise (Maniscalco and Christen, 2011). The attack left nearly five thousand people injured. Despite its ineffectiveness, the world should note that there could be a terror group working on the Aum Shinrikyo’s failures to come up with a powerful biological weapon of this nature for terror acts. The 2001 Anthrax Attacks The 2001 anthrax attacks in America started on Tuesday September 18, 2001 and occurred for several weeks. This was exactly one week after the September 11 terrorism attack on the American soil. The anthrax virus was propagated through letters containing anthrax spores. These letters were mailed to two democratic United States senators and some news media. The effects of this terror attack left five people dead and affected seventeen other people. In a report file by the FBI, they noted that the 2001 anthrax attack investigation has been the longest and the most complex investigation in the history of law enforcement (Richardson, 2004). Despite the use of anthrax in this attack, it should be noted that anthrax is not the direly harmful bacteriological weapon. Anthrax virus belongs to the small pox group both of which can be managed medically. The anthrax attack was conducted in two waves with the first letter having Trenton, New Jersey postmark and was dated September 18, 2001. It is believed that five letters had been mailed to New York Post, ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News all of which are located in New York City (Williams and Viotti, 2012). There was also a letter addressed to the national Enquirer of the American media, Inc. at Boca Raton, Florida. The first person died four days after being admitted into Florida hospital. Robert Stevens died four days after he was infected and undiagnosed with a disease that made him vomit and be short of breath. The anthrax virus was contained in letters that the bioweapon experts later viewed their images and ascertained that the letters showed no signs of “weaponization.” In fact, in the year 2002, the Sandia National Laboratories’ tests confirmed that the powder found in the letters was never weaponized (Williams and Viotti, 2012). However, 22 persons who got direct exposure to powder were affected through inhaling the powder and five of whom died from the same effect. It took longer than expected to identify the victims of this attack; therefore, preparedness to terrorists attracts is not quite effective and swift (Williams and Viotti, 2012). Notably, this terror attack aimed at infecting a large population with the anthrax virus, particularly through inhaling the anthrax powder. Despite the numerous terrorism attacks in America, it seems that the state was never prepared for this attack. There was a slow response thereby leading to five deaths. Worst of all, some part of investigation report indicated that some state or federal agencies were aware of the anthrax attack earlier before it stroke (Williams and Viotti, 2012). However, the attack was small to gauge the state’s preparedness to terror attacks. The anthrax attack did involve few multiple agents, drug resistance organisms, multiple transmission modes, and global spread. Despite the death of some victims, the American health system was never challenged by the attack (Richardson, 2004). Additionally, the mechanism deployed by terror in this attack was never effective since its effects were never significant. Therefore, the terror groups have not yet developed any effective bioweapon for terrorizing the world. Nonetheless, the world leadership should remain vigilant since terrorists are ever changing tactic. Currently, the terror groups are concentrating in the use of bombs to terrorize the world (Williams and Viotti, 2012). Therefore, it would be vital for states and governments to be prepared for any eventuality from the terror groups. Radiological Attack – the Dirty Bomb Dirty bombs usually refer to Speculative Radioactive weapons made from combining conventional explosive and radioactive materials (National Research Council, 2005). The main purpose of these materials or weapon is to contaminate the area where they have exploded by a radioactive material (National Research Council, 1994). The name “dirty bomb “originates from the contaminating effects of the explosives. Some experts are of the view that most of the Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network has been eager to develop and use these radioactive materials. Since the September 11, terror attack in United States, the homeland security official is worried with the possibility of this terror group’s possibility to use detonation of a “dirty bomb.” The bomb is just an ordinary explosive that is laced with radioactive material (National Research Council, 1994). When used, “dirty bomb” releases radiation into the environment (Cohen and Wells, 2004). Notably, in May 2002, the America intelligent team arrested an alleged al-Qaeda terrorist who was plotting to develop and detonate q dirty bomb. The radiations released when these bombs are detonated are quite harmful to human health. The radiations often accumulate in human tissues with others undergoing nuclear fusion and fission. Nuclear fission of these radiations makes them travel all over the body thereby affecting a larger percentage of body cells (National Research Council, 2005). The radiation is likely to cause cancer and other irreversible chain reactions in the body cells; thus, killing these cells leading chronic diseases. The dirty bomb or radiological attacks often expose victims to these harmful radiations in two main ways. One form of attack may spread radiations by placing highly concentrated radioactive materials within the targeted locality or through sabotaging a nuclear power plant. Secondly, the attack may spread the radioactive materials through an aerosol spray. These dusts and debris may land on the human body, may be inhaled, ingested, and absorbed into the body through wounds or other openings (Cohen and Wells, 2004). Naturally, release of high levels of nuclear radiation to the atmosphere is quite harmful to humanity and other living things. There has never been any serious case of radiological terror attacks either in America or in any other part of the world (National Research Council, 1994). However, the response to this disaster will largely depend on the public education on how to manage or conduct themselves under such circumstances. Additionally, the effects of such disaster may be enormous if the country lacks the efforts and expertise of civil defense to curb the situation (Cohen and Wells, 2004). The American public is not only merely uniformed on how to hand radiological attacks, but they are also misinformed about the radiation, its protection methods, and effects. Despite the current threats and concern about radiological terrorism, the public authorities have not made any serious attempts to correct these ill situations. Therefore, in case of such attacks in the United States, the public will face dire predicaments that might affect vast population due to lack of proper emergency measures towards the same. The disaster management team should handle matters of radiation with a lot concerns and seriousness since the radiation will affect those who directly hit and those who are not at the scene (National Research Council, 1994). Furthermore, it should be noted that victims of the dirty bomb might be the main carrier of radiation contaminants in their bodies (Cohen and Wells, 2004). These radiations, while in the body, may damage liver, kidney, thyroid, and bones. Moreover, the radiation often increases the chances of the carrier to get cancer (National Research Council, 2005). Finally, the radiations may travel or retained in the environment thereby having a continued effects. Terrorism Response Training Plan The most likely terror act to occur in my district, the New York City, is the radiological attack. Radiological attack is the most effective way any terror groups can currently use to infect and kill a large population at once. For decade, terrorists have tried the use of both biological and chemical weapons to commit their terrorism acts (Keyes and Burstein, 2005), but both weapons have turned out to be ineffective since the resulting causalities are often manure. Additional, both forms of terror attacks are usually contained before they spread or affect the population as per the expectation of these terror groups. The occurrence of a radiological attack will lead to many casualties since the attack may include the use of explosive. When explosives are used, there might be fire breakout and collapse of structures. The collapse of structures, as well as outbreak of fire, will lead to different casualties that must be handled with care and more effectively (Keyes and Burstein, 2005). There will be burnt victims, radiation victims, and physically injured persons, or the combination of these effects in one victim. Radiation victims can never be handled like any other accident or terrorism victims. The first step in this case is to seal the area of the incident and movement of people in and from the scene of attack to be restricted. Additionally, a tent must be erected in the environs of the scene to facilitate rescue mission. Since the scene in a high concentration of the radiation from the bomb, these tents must be erected at a considerable distance away from the scene. Furthermore, in order to reduce further radiation infections, the recue team must only be radiation specialists and experts (Keyes and Burstein, 2005). Therefore, these specialists are expected to be in exceptional attires that will protect them from infection. There are different types of radiations that are often emitted in nuclear reactors and these include beta and alpha radiations, as well as gamma and X-rays. All these radiation are expected in case of nuclear attacks; however, their concentration must be determined to enable the teams to adopt proper rescue and treatment methods for the victims. The validity of the radiations and the substance involved will only be identified through recognized dissemination devices (Keyes and Burstein, 2005). After the exact detection of the element used in the attack, the services of the environmental protection agency shall be required. This body will use the right agent to clean up the contaminated atmosphere and other areas. Notably, it might be difficult for the fire department to commence work immediately since this may increase the number of victims following fresh infections (National Research Council, 1994). All the radiation rescue procedures must be under taken to reduce fresh infections. References Cohen, D. B., & Wells, J. W. (2004). American national security and civil liberties in an era of terrorism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Keyes, D. C., & Jonathan L.Burstein. (2005). Medical response to terrorism: Preparedness and clinical practice. Philadelphia [u.a.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Maniscalco, P. M., & Christen, H. T. (2011). Homeland security: Principles and practice of terrorism response. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. National Research Council (É.-U.). (1994). Airport and airspace planning and operations. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. National Research Council (U.S.). (2005). Reopening public facilities after a biological attack: A decision making framework. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press. Richardson, M. (2004). A time bomb for global trade: Maritime-related terrorism in an age of weapons of mass destruction. Singapore: ISEAS. Williams, R. E., & Viotti, P. R. (2012). Arms control: History, theory, and policy. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Read More