BACKGROUND (1) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)—chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents (CBRN)—in the possession of hostile states or terrorists represent one of the greatest security challenges facing the United States. An attack utilizing WMD potentially could cause mass casualties, compromise critical infrastructure, adversely affect our economy, and inflict social and psycho...

Sign-out somewhere in the United States in an emergency department (ED) today: ‘‘.so that’s the last of the acute rack. And, yeah, there are 17 boarders waiting for beds, the usual. ’’ In this issue of Annals, Auf der Heide thoroughly debunks numerous myths of disaster response and management. As many of us know firsthand, in a major disaster, including a terrorist attack, many patients may sho...

The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) strives to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by disseminating timely information and analysis and training the next generation of nonproliferation specialists. CNS at the Monterey Institute of International Studies is the largest nongovernmental organization in the United States devoted exclusively to research and training on no...

In 2008, approximately 11 million maritime containers passed through U.S. seaports (U.S. Department of Homeland Security [DHS], 2010). These containers carried 90 percent of international commerce moving in and out of the United States, representing $500 billion in U.S. trade from 178,000 foreign businesses (Montaigne, 2004). Maritime trade forms the economic circulatory system of our national ...

T he tragic events of September 11 underscored beyond a shadow of doubt that America is no longer invulnerable to large-scale terrorist attack, and the investigations since conducted into the nature of the threat have unveiled essentially limitless possibilities for more to come. The potential introduction of weapons of mass destruction into such a scenario only furthers the ability of a small ...

JAVMA, Vol 230, No. 12, June 15, 2007 W of mass destruction may be defined as chemical, biological, radiologic, nuclear, explosive, or incendiary devices intended to cause widespread injury or death. Injuries and illnesses resulting from weapons of mass destruction may be overt, subclinical, or delayed. Because veterinarians may find themselves responding to emergency incidents, they should be ...

Responding to the security needs of the United States at the edge of the twenty-first century reveals a myriad of new threats and challenges, many of which remain largely unappreciated by both policy makers and the public at large. As if the horrors of an impending nuclear war were not enough, we now face a new challenge to our national security--the indiscriminate use of weapons of mass destru...

This article examines the extent to which terrorist use of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons poses a tangible threat to international security. In the literature on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) some analysts have tended to exaggerate the scope of the threat and assumed that large-scale terrorist acts involving WMD are only ‘a matter of time’. In short, there is a tend...