B- What technical limits of the use of NBC weapons for terrorist purposes?

The effects theoretically allotted to NBC agents should not be extrapolated into reality due to some existing stabilizing factors, for example:
- The spreading or dispersion method;
- The purity, the volatility of the products.

The low number of victims in Tokyo metro attack is due to the wrong choice of dissemination method. There were only vapours of sarin and not pulverization by the means of an aerosol, which would have resulted much more lethal.

The rescue teams worked very quickly and the system of ventilation of the subway of Tokyo is particularly efficient compared to Paris. A similar attack in Paris subway would turn out with much more deaths.

At the end of May 1998, during the lawsuit of one of the leaders of the sect Aum, one learnt that a team of this organisation had started in April 1990 a biological attack against various American military bases in Japan by propagating germs of the Botulinum. Whereas this product is one amongst the more lethal, nothing happened.

The Aum sect made a new attempt in 1993 using Anthrax, which resulted quite as disappointing. The method of dispersion of these products was undoubtedly ineffective.

Spreading of the manufactured agent is the most delicate stage. It can be carried out in several ways: contamination of food or liquids, dispersion by spreading, using aerosols or vapours in closed area or open air and also using either small or powerful explosive loads.

Many experts favour NBC attacks in closed areas like subway stations, covered stadiums, etc. Governmental buildings, national monuments or hotels could also be privileged targets.

Water poisoning is an old story that goes as far as antiquity. So it's still a great psychological fear and many think that terrorist attacks could go that way and destroy our "wells" like in the times of crusades.

In fact, experts disagree on the capability of poisoning the population of a city through reservoirs of drinkable water: important quantities of polluting agents should be needed, and there is no clearly defined ratio between volume of water in the reservoirs and consumption of drinkable water by the urban community.

The "FARC", the Colombian Popular Army, a Narco-terrorist group, attacked the Chingaza dam, which provides a large part of the drinkable water of Bogota. They attacked it twice last January and February; they made important damage but did not use any chemical or other NBC product though we know they could use some, as for instance the residues of cocaine process that pollute so many rivers in the north half of South America.

Reasons are most systems of water treatment are very active (filtration, chlorination, etc.);

- Some of the water will never be in contact with the population and may remain in the reservoir during several months, which is enough to deteriorate some biochemical agents,

- and most of the water will mainly have everyday uses such as watering of the lawns.

But what would happen if small tanks of residential buildings were poisoned?

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