Terrorism & US Policies

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Dear Student,
Hello. As with the solution I have written for you previously, the narrative below is presented as an 'example' of how to answer the questions posted. Assuming you have gone through the materials for this course, you can work towards adapting the discussion from the narrative below into your own. If you feel the need to expand on the information, References are listed to allow you to expand. Good luck and thank you for using Brainmass.

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OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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WMD Terror Threat & US Terrorism Policy

Former CIA director (1997-2004) George Tenet, writing for the Meria Journal in early 2000 shared then, almost a year before 9-11, the findings of the CIA in relation to terror threats and the growing concern that the intelligence community has over the threat of weapons of Mass destruction. He wrote,

"Against the backdrop of this increasing missile threat, the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons takes on more alarming dimensions. Biological and chemical weapons pose, arguably, the most daunting challenge for intelligence collectors and analysts. Conveying to you an understanding of the work we do to combat this threat is best dealt with in closed session, but there are some observations and trends that I can highlight in this unclassified setting. First, the preparation and effective use of biological weapons (BW) by both potentially hostile states and by non state actors, including terrorists, is harder than some popular literature seems to suggest. That said, potential adversaries are pursuing such programs, and the threat that the United States and our allies face is growing in breadth and sophistication...About a dozen states, including several hostile to Western democracies-Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Syria-now either possess or are actively pursuing offensive biological and chemical capabilities for use against their perceived enemies, whether internal or external...Beyond state actors, there are a number of terrorist groups seeking to develop or acquire biological and chemical weapons capabilities. Some such groups-[such as] Osama bin Laden's-have international networks, adding to uncertainty and the danger of a surprise attack. There are fewer constraints on non state actors than on state actors. Adding to the unpredictability are the 'lone militants,' or the ad hoc ...