homeland security essay

Welcome to Week 8 of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats to the Homeland course!  Course wrap up and some final thoughts…  

In 2011, the death of the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was a highlight to the global effort on terror. While his philosophies were the foundation of a blossoming global organization that attracted violent extremists, he was an extreme advocate of terrorism focused specifically at the United States.  According to Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism, “Even in the years when he had to limit and manage his contacts with the rest of the organization, it was clear from the trove of information collected from the compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, that he remained deeply involved in directing its operations and setting its strategy” (2012, 5).

Despite blows in and around the world to al-Qaeda and its affiliates, its believers remain adaptable, both abroad and here in the United States. “They have shown resilience; retain the capability to conduct regional and transnational attacks; and, thus, constitute an enduring and serious threat to our national security” (Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism 2012, 5).   

Recently the civil war in Syria has resulted in many second and third order effects to include WMD use, proliferation of chemicals and radiological material, and a one of a kind effort to remove chemical weapons from a hostel environment. According the the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) both sides of the conflict claim to have been attacked with "Toxic Chemicals."  Many believe this started with CWs and was later followed by the use of Chlorine against both sides of the conflict.  

The Islamic State (ISIS) has caused great global concern over their ability to obtain WMD. In June 2014, ISIS members broke into Mosul University in Iraq stealing a cache of radiological materials.  They have also been known to possess Chlorine and use it against their opponents in Syria.  As ISIS continues to grow their nihilist world view makes them potentially willing to use WMD.

One result of the threat posed by the Assad regime and ISIS was the multinational action to remove the large stockpile of CW from Syria.  According to the Paul Walker of the Arms Control Association,

This was an enormously ambitious and difficult effort, especially in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria, the refusal of Syria to cover the costs of demilitarization, the strong reluctance of any other country to destroy the Syrian chemical stockpile on its territory, and the ongoing allegations of continued and indiscriminate chemical weapons use against rebel forces and civilian populations in Syria.

As of October 20, [2014] according to the OPCW, almost 98 percent of Syria’s declared stockpile of 1,308 metric tons of sulfur mustard agent and precursor chemicals had been destroyed in four countries and on board the MV Cape Ray, a U.S. Merchant Marine vessel uniquely outfitted in late 2013 to neutralize about half of the stockpile. The success of this disarmament effort, spearheaded by the OPCW and the United Nations in a unique joint mission, represents a historic breakthrough in establishing a world free of chemical weapons, in strengthening the CWC and the OPCW, and in building momentum toward accession to the treaty by Egypt and Israel, the two remaining nonmembers in the Middle East. (Walker, 2014)

The diagram below shows the path that the chemicals took after departing Syria.

The capability of the CAPE RAY represented the first time that Chemical Weapons were neutralized at sea.  The products of the neutralization were then offloaded and destroyed as part of normal industrial processes.  This was new territory since the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Treaty prevented a nation from adding new CW to their stockpiles.  As such, no nation was willing to take the stockpile of Syrian CW and break the CWC .  However, by removing the chemicals from Syria, shipping them to international waters, then destroying them through neutralization at sea, the byproducts could then be accepted by several nations for eventual disposal and not break the CWC.  This bit of creative thinking and new technology resulted in the removal of CW from Syria.  It is unfortunate the both sides of the conflict then just switched to Chlorine as the preferred weapon of choice versus Mustard or Sarin.

It is important to note that while al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other international terrorists have direct ties to international terrorist organizations, the potential for “lone wolf” terrorists or homegrown terrorist organizations is a threat that cannot be overlooked. They pose a significant threat to the United States and one that is extremely difficult to detect (for example, the events in 2013 at the Boston Marathon or the Ricin mailings).  The threats abound from those with a college level science degree and an ax to grind.  We must, as a nation, remain vigilant.

References:

United States Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism. Country Reports on Terrorism 2011. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State Publication, 2012.

Walker, P. F. (2014, December) Syrian chemical weapons destruction: Taking stock and looking ahead. Arms Control Association.  Retrieved from http://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2014_12/Features/Syrian-Chemical-Weapons-Destruction-Taking-Stock-And-Looking-Ahead