Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 12
Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism:
TICs & TIMs
Chemical Terrorism
• Definition – the use of chemicals to harm or alter the
behavior of an adversary
• Utilizes existing stored chemicals – exploiting
weapons of opportunity
• Who’s at risk
– Civilians in U.S.
• Wide availability of toxic materials throughout U.S.
• Proximity of industrial operations to large urban centers
– Military abroad
Module One – Toxic Warfare: Looking Beyond Conventional Chemical Weapons
12
Although there is no strict definition of “chemical terrorism”, it generally refers to the use
of chemicals to harm or alter the behavior of an adversary. [CDC] Unlike conventional
military warfare, chemical terrorists utilize readily available chemicals. By utilizing stored
or other readily available chemicals reference to these chemicals as “weapons or
chemicals of opportunity” is made more clear. US civilians remain at risk given the easy
availability of many industrial and commercial chemicals, and particularly those civilians
living near large urban areas where the terrorism targets are very dense. The military
abroad, while at risk for conventional chemical weapons, is also at risk for agents of
opportunity. This was demonstrated by the use of chlorine gas released against the
military in Iraq in 2007.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 17