Emergency.Blog

The Specter of Suicide Attacks with CBRN Weapons

20 Mar 2007

Chemical Weapons Expert Says Chlorine Attacks in Iraq Will Be Hard to Stop

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: A chemical warfare expert said Monday the chlorine gas-loaded weapons used by Iraqi insurgents amount to "chemical dirty bombs" and will be hard to stop. However, the insurgents so far appear only to have access to a rudimentary and inefficient method of spreading the gas blowing it up in suicide bombings.

Jonathan Tucker, a visiting Fulbright fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said there is little that can be done to stop the attacks because chlorine, which is used for water purification across Iraq, is so widely available.

"They can try to limit access to chlorine...but, given the black market situation that would be difficult to do," he said in a telephone interview during a visit to The Hague.

"This is obviously a very crude terrorist tactic. Terrorists tend to be very opportunistic and this is a new tactic for them that is scaring a lot of people and doing significant harm," he said. "These are chemical dirty bombs."

On Friday, three suicide bombers driving trucks rigged with tanks of toxic chlorine gas struck targets in heavily Sunni Anbar province, killing at least two people and sickening 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops, the U.S. military said... Mar 19, 2007 article continues at: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2965185&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

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U.S. military blames al-Qaida in Iraq for chlorine attacks

BAGHDAD A U-S military official is blaming al-Qaida in Iraq for Friday's chlorine-bomb attacks in Anbar province. Three suicide bombers blew up trucks rigged with tanks of toxic chlorine gas. The attacks killed at least two people and sickened hundreds of Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops.

But a U-S military spokesman a says tight Iraqi security prevented more casualties. Admiral Mark Fox says at least one of the bombers detonated his explosives after he was unable to get past an Iraqi police checkpoint. While many were exposed to the chemical fumes, the attacker killed only himself.

Fox calls the chlorine attacks an attempt by insurgents to punish "the people who stood against terrorist organizations...."

-- Source: FOX CAROLINA/AP, http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=6243115&nav=menu149_2_6

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The Chlorine Gas Attacks in Iraq and the Specter of Suicide Attacks with CBRN Weapons

By Assaf Moghadam, March 19, 2007 04:58 PM

Last week's triple chlorine-gas suicide attacks that hit Falluja and Ramadi sent shockwaves around Iraq, while raising the specter of more widespread use of chemical weapons by terrorist groups in Iraq and beyond. The bombings followed a series of earlier chlorine gas attacks, although no chlorine gas attacks were recorded prior to January 2007.

Suicide attacks have inherent tactical benefits when compared with non-suicidal attacks. They are cheap, precise, highly lethal, and they create a sense of fear among the target population that usually exceeds that of ordinary terrorist attacks. When coupled with chemical or other non-conventional weapons, these inherent tactical benefits of suicide bombings are multiplied. In fact, delivering a non-conventional device in the course of a terrorist attack is far more likely to succeed if the carrier of the device is willing to sacrifice himself in the process. Because the suicide bomber is willing to die, he is undeterred by the possible exposure to toxins or radiation that may result from the handling of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) devices. Moreover, a bomber carrying a CBRN device is not burdened by the need to wear protective gear while delivering the device to the target area. His willingness to die not only obviates the need to wear gas masks and other protective equipment, but also reduces the chance of his early detection.

Combining the tactic of suicide operations with weapons of mass destruction also carries distinctive advantages for the group. All terrorism is designed to create terror, but there is probably no better way for a terrorist to maximize this intense fear among the target audience than by combining two modes of attack that are so difficult to defend against, while presenting the government as ineffective and law enforcement and first responders as helpless. In addition, for the group at large, the combination of CBRN and suicide attacks offers a unique possibility to demonstrate its determination to prevail in its mission.... This article continues at: -- Source: http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/03/the_chlorine_gas_attacks_in_ir.php#trackbacks

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Reference:

Change in Terrorism Tactics Reported; Suicide Bombers Could Have Major Implications

ERRI analysts previously addressed this very issue in an article that was apparently far ahead of its time [about five (5) years]. The article, from Monday, April 8, 2002-Vol. 8, No. 098-09:00CDT, and entitled "Change in Terrorism Tactics Reported; Suicide Bombers Could Have Major Implications," can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/2002/suicide_implications.htm