Terrorism and WMDs

Terrorism and WMDs: Awareness and Response, Third Edition is fully updated to include the latest technology and tactics surrounding the threats posed by terrorist groups—detailing plausible contexts in which chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons could be used by such actors.

Experienced author Gus Martin has collaborated on updating this resource, with two new chapters at the start of the book outlining the historical origins of terrorism, terrorist typologies, and the evolution of the modern terrorist environment including large-scale regional conflicts and domestic violent extremism in the United States. Additional coverage of new case studies have been added throughout. This includes an examination of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and additional events that have occurred since the last edition’s release. Domestic U.S. threats—from hate, extremist, and supremacist groups—are discussed, as well as emergent and novel tactics being used in the Isreal-Gaza conflict and the 2022 Russian invasion and subsequent Russia-Ukraine conflict are examined.

This includes the use of drone attacks by both Ukraine and Russia, and Russia’s occupation and bombardment of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), highlighting what could be argued are terror-like tactics that at least skirt, if not cross over, the lines of accepted international law. Such actions blur the demarcation between what is deemed terror versus modern warfare. Similarly, Isreal’s response in the wake of the horrific October 7 attack—with their subsequent operations in Gaza and a wide-scale, simultaneous operation involving exploding pagers and radios in Lebanon and Syria—have likewise drawn critics and controversy.

Coverage also focuses on the chemistry and biology of WMDs, the development and history of their use, as well as the human health effects of such weapons. Added references, chapter questions—and the addition of recent terrorist acts to relevant sections—all present the modern threat environment and realistic WMDs materials access and attack capabilities. Given that terrorist weapons and delivery methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the book provides a comprehensive, current survey of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

As such, Terrorism and WMDs, Third Edition continues to serve as an invaluable resource to students and professionals studying and working in the fields of terrorism, Homeland Security, and emergency response.

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