ABSTRACT
When it comes to the means by which they ply their nefarious craft, most terrorists most of the time have been content to use fairly traditional weapons. Indeed, of historical terrorist attacks where the type of weapon was known, over 99 percent have involved the utilization of firearms, bombs, incendiaries or melee weapons. 1 Occasionally, however, terrorists can be a little more ambitious in selecting their instruments of harm, at times even venturing to employ decidedly unconventional means – the most infamous of which include chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The specter of such weapons being used against unprotected victims – especially in the form of so-called weapons of mass destruction (WMD) – has become a source of substantial concern for both governments and publics around the world, often conjuring up terrifying images of pestilence and mushroom clouds.
