Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction

Covers the weapons of mass destruction that jihadist terrorists have historically used and are likely to use in the future. This work examines terrorist ideology, strategy, and target selection. It describes chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, and discusses how terrorists might acquire or manufacture them.

---

Explores the Nexus Formed When Malevolent Actors Access Malignant Means

Written for professionals, academics, and policymakers working at the forefront of counterterrorism efforts, Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction is an authoritative and comprehensive work addressing the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the hands of jihadists, both historically and looking toward the future threat environment. Providing insight on one of the foremost security issues of the 21st century, this seminal resource effectively:






Documents current trends in the ideology, strategy, and tactics of jihadists as these relate to WMD



Includes a section devoted to jihadist involvement with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons



Explores the role of intelligence, law enforcement, and policymakers in anticipating, deterring, and mitigating WMD attacks



Provides an overview of nonproliferation policies designed to keep WMD out of the hands of jihadists



Conducts a groundbreaking quantitative empirical analysis of jihadist behavior



Elicits leading experts’ estimates of the future WMD threat from jihadists

Leading international experts clearly differentiate between peaceful Muslims and jihadists, exploring how jihadists translate their extreme and violent ideology into strategy. They also focus on WMD target selection and the spread of WMD knowledge in jihadist communities. Devoid of sensationalism, this multidimensional evaluation adds a heightened level of sophistication to our understanding of the prospects for and nature of jihadist WMD terrorism.

About the Editors

Gary Ackerman is Research Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security National Center of Excellence based at the University of Maryland. His research work focuses on threat assessment and terrorism involving unconventional weapons.

Jeremy Tamsett is a consultant for Henley-Putnam University and an analyst at the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), a research center dedicated to identifying, better comprehending, and accurately assessing the present and future security threats stemming from a variety of violence-prone extremists and their enablers. He has served as Project Manager for the U.S. Government funded Critical Infrastructure Terrorist Attack database and Global Terrorism Database (GTD).