1 CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter – June 2012 · 2012-08-28 · 6 CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter – June 2012 wolf” phenomenon, but also manifesting itself in street disturbances and

1CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter – June 2012

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GDLS shows off CBRN systems solutionSource:http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/eurosatory-2012-gdls-shows-cbrn-systems-solution/

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is

exhibiting its CBRN vehicle solutions for thefirst time at Eurosatory in Paris this week (June

2012).Designed for and in the process of being

delivered to the Swiss Army, the vehiclesinclude the Piranha III CBRN Reconnaissancevehicle (top) and the Duro CBRN laboratory(bottom). The Swiss Army has procured 11 ofeach platform giving it an organic CBRN

vehicle capability for the first time, it wasadded.GDLS executives explainedhow the 8X8 Recce vehicle,designed in collaborationThales for sensor capabilities,was capable of a 24 hour'silent watch'. Complete withraised roof, protected test andsample kits, air conditioningand air pressure system, theRecce vehicle has beendesigned for 'future threatsworldwide'.'Changing combat missionscall for different sensors, bethey for counter-terrorism or

urban conflicts. Piranha's ballistic and mineprotection means it can work in “hot zones”,' a

GDLS executive said.The Duro, a 6X6 vehicleweighing 14 tonnes, providesthe laboratory component ofthe overall CBRN capability.Tasked with following up andsupporting recce vehicles, theDuro is capable of carryingeither a nuclear, biological orchemical laboratory but neverconcurrently.It emerged that the SwissArmy's concept of operationswill be to deploy three PiranhaIIIs and three Duro vehicles in

order to reduce false alarm rates. It is alsoexpected that they will conduct missionsalongside main battle tanks.Describing interest from Japan for such acapability, executives said thissolution would be ideal in respondingto catastrophes like the Fukushimanuclear disaster last year. 'Japan is

The CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter is looking for photos of CBRN First Responders in action.The best images submitted will be included on the covers of upcoming editions! Imagesmust be your property and must be sent as large hi-res JPEGs. Please include captions.



























building similar systems now,' one source told Shephard.CBR terrorism a clear danger to India: ORF-RUSI StudySource: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/06/15/284-CBR-terrorism-a-clear-danger-to-India-ORF-RUSI-Study.html

There is a clear danger to India from CBR(Chemical, Biological and Radiologicalmaterials) terrorism due to the knownintentions of terrorist groups active within

India's borders, according to a new researchstudy.Terrorist organisations may seek to carry outCBR attacks in future by detonating aradiological dispersal device ('dirty bomb'); bycarrying out an armed assault on an industrialfacility handling CBR materials or on vehiclestransporting material between sites; or byinfiltrating facilities in order to steal CBRmaterials or to sabotage the site, the study

done by Observer Research Foundation andthe Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) haswarned.Releasing the study report, titled 'Chemical,

Biological and Radiological Materials: AnAnalysis of Security Risks and TerroristThreats to India', former Home Secretary G.K.Pillai admitted that for the government, CBRthreats so far had been of "low priorityimportance"."It is a low priority issue. With toomuch happening, it is something likelyto happen. Also with threats low," saidPillai, who was at the centre of

















introducing internal security reforms after theMumbai terror attacks.Pillai said the wake-up call on this issue for thegovernment came when, just before the NewDelhi Commonwealth Games, the radio-activematerial sold from the Delhi University createdproblems for the people.Explaining the threat that can be posed by themissing explosives from factories, Pillai saidonce the Madhya Pradesh Police found outthat 14,000 tonnes of explosives went missing.He added that much of this landed in the handsof mining mafia which used it for illegal miningactivities.Noted strategic expert Dr. C. Raja Mohan, RKMishra chair at ORF, said though India hasbeen raising WMD-related issues at variousinternational fora, not much work has beendone on domestic aspects of the issue, though"it is not an inconsequential threat.""Though India has been battling insurgenciesand terrorism for over three decades, thechanging nature of the threat now make it moredeadly. CBR threat for India is loud and cleargiven that Pakistan has become the locus ofinternational terrorism making the threat thatmuch more horrifying," said Dr. RajeswariRajagopalan, ORF Senior Fellow, who led thestudy team.She said external terrorist groups active inIndia, such as the the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT),Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) aggravate the danger for India,point out that these groups had in the pastattacked key installations and public buildings,including the Indian Parliament in December2001. "These groups are capable of posing themore serious CBRN threat. Such a possibilitybecame apparent when David ColemanHeadley, an American working for LeT,disclosed that he had conducted hostilesurveillance on nuclear installations in India,"Dr Rajeswari Rajagopalan said.Saying that the role of small-scale industries iscrucial in this regard, she said control of theflow of CBR material from small-scaleindustries needs special attention.The ORF-RUSI study found that site security atfacilities and industries handling CBR materialsis variable. Large industrial sites, particularlyunder the protection of the Government-fundedCentral Industrial Security Force (CISF), arewell-protected with robust security and safetyarrangements, but this is not mirrored in allmedium- and small-scale facilities, some of

whom have employed private security agencieswho are not adequately trained.The study found that transport of CBRmaterials presented particularvulnerabilities as the majority of regulationfocused on transport accidents, not ondeliberate attack. Protection of CBRmaterials in transit needs to bestrengthened, the study suggested.In such a scenario, the study suggestedgreater standardisation of site security withwell-developed practical plans forimplementation.The study also suggested that CBR trainingand awareness needs to be pushed out tofrontline staff in security agencies and industryin order to ensure that the threats are both fullyunderstood and that any observed incidentsare recorded correctly.Another important suggestion is to give anincreased role to the National DisasterManagement Authority in prevention andmitigation of CBR incidents, as well as theresponse to such events.The report noted that the threat of CBRterrorism is a global security concern with pastincidents such as the deliberate contaminationof food by the Rajneeshee religious cult inOregon, USA in 1984 and the release of achemical agent by the Aum Shinrikyo cult onthe Tokyo subway in March 1995. Theseincidents showed that deliberate attacks arewithin the capabilities of malicious actors andcan have devastating consequences.In addition, industrial accidents such as theBhopal gas tragedy in India in 1984,mishandling of dangerous radiological materialsuch as the accidental sale of radioactiveCobalt-60 to a scrap dealer in Delhi in 2010,and the intentional poisoning of the KaigaAtomic Power Station water supply inKarnataka in 2009 showed the damage thatcould be caused by malicious actors usingCBR materials. Such incidents also highlightsecurity and safety vulnerabilities surroundingCBR materials and the sites on which they arestored and used.Since India faces a serious battle againstterrorism from armed Naxal rebels, insurgentand separatist groups such as UnitedLiberation Force of Assam (ULFA), andother international terrorist groupssuch as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) andJaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), CBRthreats needs to be taken care of











more seriously, the report said.Lone Wolf CBRNE Capabilities: Lessons from NorwayBy Maurits Beltgens and Serguei BatsanovApproved by Ilja M. BonsenIB ConsultancyBrussels, Belgium; The Hague, The Netherlands; SingaporeCopyright Current Event Reports 4: Lone Wolves’ CBRNe Capabilities, August 2011, IB ConsultancySource: http://news.cbrnresourcenetwork.com/newsDetail.cfm?id=63

IntroductionThe terrorist attacks in Norway on July 22nd,2011 have brought lone wolf terrorism to theforefront of public concern. The bombing ofgovernment buildings in Oslo and subsequentmass shootings on the nearby island of Utøyawhich resulted in the deaths of seventy sevenpeople, were carried out by lone wolf AndersBreivik.Breivik’s attacks started at 3:20 p.m. when abomb made primarily from fertilizer explodedoutside government offices in central Oslo.(1)The bombing was soon followed by a massshooting on Utøya Island at 5:27 p.m., whichlasted about an hourand caused the death ofsixty nine people.(2)This current eventsreport will discuss lonewolves’ CBRNe(Chemical, Biological,Radiological, Nuclear,and Explosives) capabilities as demonstratedby the actions of Breivik and others. WhileBreivik eventually resorted to the moretraditional use of conventional weapons, i.e.small arms and explosives, his manifestoindicates that he spent a great deal of time andeffort entertaining the use of CBRN weapons.The Lone Wolf In his article, “Lone WolfTerrorism”, Peter Phillips explains, “True lonewolf terrorists are individuals who … operatealone, without accomplices and outside of aformal terrorist organisational or commandstructure.”(3)The threat lone wolves pose can bechallenging to classify due to the wide array ofcapabilities and motives that vary from onelone wolf to the next. Attacks by lone wolvesrange from basic to highly sophisticatedattacks; some involving years of carefulplanning while others seem to occur at the spurof the moment.When looking at the history of terrorist attacksby lone wolves it becomes apparent that theirmotivations can be categorized into two

groups. The first category includes lone wolveswho have their own personal vendettas. Thetarget of these vendettas can range from thegovernment to former employers; the latterbeing particularly dangerous due to theirextensive knowledge ofbuildings securityfeatures. Thesecond categoryof lone wolvesare those whoshare the sameideology as otheractor types such as extreme right, or

international religiousfundamentalist, butchoose to operateindependently of suchgroups. This isespecially true for lonewolves sympathizingwith the extreme right,

or other single issue groups such as anti-abortion groups, which have seen an increasein the amount of lone wolf supporters.(4) Lonewolves tend to be highly motivated due to theirdeep seated frustration for any number ofissues, leading them to take extreme actions inan attempt to right some form of wrongdoingthey believe they have suffered.

Path to RadicalizationAlthough the Breivik episode occurred in “well-to-do” Norway, it is important to note that thecurrent economic and financial crisis, withinstability on financial and stock markets,dangerously growing sovereign debts,threatening national defaults, and thesubsequent implementation of unprecedentedausterity measures, may lead to the dangerouspolarisation of societies and further increasethe risk of radicalisation under various“colors”, be it extreme right, extremeleft or religious. This may in turn,contribute to a further growth ofradical extremism, including the “lone

Contrary to popular belief, CBRNebased attacks are not only of interest tolarge well-funded terrorist groups. Lonewolves are just as interested in CBRNebased attacks due to their destructivecapabilities.





















wolf” phenomenon, but also manifesting itselfin street disturbances and acts of anarchism.Furthermore, while a linear logic suggests thatgruesome episodes like the Breivik rampageare one of a kind and should not be expectedto repeat often, the general culture of violencethat Breivik so dramatically represented may infact be contagious.(5) It is deeply disturbing, forexample, that within weeks of the events inNorway the debate in some Europeancountries has shown a good deal of sympathyand understanding among the public and someopinion leaders towards Breivik’s crimes.(6)Breivik, a thirty two year old Norwegian rightwing extremist, carried out these attacks in aneffort to combat what he believed to be theIslamic colonization of Western Europe. Breivikclaims to be a member of an organizationwhich he calls Pauperes Commilitones ChristiTemplique Solomonici (PCCTS) also known asthe Knights Templar, however, there is noevidence suggesting there are in fact othermembers of such a group. During his attacksBreivik targeted members and supporters ofNorway’s Labor Party, who he believed werebehaving like “cultural Marxists” for allowingwhat he saw as a Muslim takeover of Norway.Breivik's path to radicalization started at anearly age, in his manifesto he states:“When I was around 16-17 years old I joinedthe Progress Party Youth organization (FpU)as they were anti-immigrant and pro-free-market.” He recounted that his path toradicalization further progressed when, “aroundyear 2000 I realized that the democraticstruggle against the Islamization of Europe,European multiculturalism was lost …resistance is saying you will put a stop to this. Idecided I wanted to join the resistancemovement.”(7)Breivik's path to radicalization culminated withthe attacks on July 22nd 2011, which he claimsto have spent the last three years of his lifeworking on.

Similarities to Other Lone WolvesPrior to Anders Breivik's recent attack, the mostimmediate example of a lone wolf to come tomind when discussing the lone wolf actor typewas Timothy McVeigh. Although one couldargue that McVeigh does not fit the “classic”definition of a lone wolf, because he washelped by Terry Nichols, experts generallycategorize him as a lone wolf because he

executed the attack alone and did not followthe orders of a larger organization.(8)McVeigh’s attack on Oklahoma City’s federalbuilding using a truck filled with 2,300 kg ofammonium nitrate and nitro methane, on April19th, 1995 was the most deadly terrorist attackin the United States prior to 9/11. It killed 168people and injured more than 400. McVeighplanned and executed the attack as revengefor the federal government’s siege of theBranch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas,two years earlier, which led to the death of 76people.(9)It is noteworthy that there are similaritiesbetween Breivik and McVeigh, including bothused fertilizer based explosives, both held rightwing extremist views, and both targetedgovernment buildings. Another lone wolf thatBreivik shares similarities with is TedKaczynski, more commonly known as theUnabomber. In fact, Breivik seems to havebeen inspired by Kaczynski having copiedmany parts directly from Kaczynski’s manifestoin his own manifesto “2083 A EuropeanDeclaration of Independence” which hepublished shortly before his attacks under thealias Andrew Berwick. For example inKaczynski’s manifesto Kaczynski states:“One of the most widespread manifestations ofthe craziness of our world is leftism, so adiscussion of the psychology of leftism canserve as an introduction to the discussion ofthe problems of modern society in general.”(10)Similarly Breivik in his “own” manifesto states:“One of the most widespread manifestations ofthe craziness of our world is multiculturalism,so a discussion of the psychology ofmulticulturalists can serve as an introduction tothe discussion of the problems of WesternEurope in general.”(11)The only changes Breivik makes is replacingthe word leftism with multiculturalism andreplacing modern society with Western Europe.This is just one of the many instances whereBreivik has copied Kaczynski’s manifestoalmost verbatim. It is interesting that Breivikchose to use so much of Kaczynski’s manifestowhen writing his own, considering they did notshare similar ideologies. In fact, they werequite different, as Kaczynski was concernedabout the industrialization andmodernization of society and itsimpact on the environment, whereas













Breivik’s focus lay in what he believed to be theIslamic colonization of Western Europe.

Lone Wolves CBRNe CapabilitiesContrary to popular belief, CBRNe basedattacks are not only of interest to large well-funded terrorist groups. Lone wolves are justas interested in CBRNe based attacks due totheir destructive capabilities.As Michael Day points out in his article, “FromInspiring to Instructing”, there has been anincrease in terrorist attacks by lone wolves.(12)This increase in attacks by lone wolves willsurely lead to an increase in the likelihood of alone wolf choosing to use CBRNe-basedweapons in their attacks. Support for thisassumption may be found in the arrest ofseveral lone wolves since Breivik’s attacks inNorway, notably including the arrest of aMexican chemistry student, Jose PerezBautista on the 17th of August, 2011, who isaccused of planning to use chemical gases topoison protesters of the Pope’s visit toSpain.(13) Furthermore, U.S. President BarackObama has recently stated that attacks by lonewolves are, “the most likely scenario that wehave to guard against right now.”(14)This position is substantiated by Breivik’s claimthat, “there are cells that are already in theprocess of attempting to acquire chemical,biological, radiological or nuclearweapons.”(15)But how much of a threat do lone wolves reallypose when discussing CBRNe attacks?Because of the independent nature of lone wolfactivities one might assume that their network,financial means and CBRN knowledge are allextremely limited, and that, as a result, they donot amount to much of a threat in regard toCBRNe. However, this is not always the caseas Bruce Ivins demonstrated with his allegedanthrax mailing campaign in 2001. Indeed,even lone wolves may be capable of usingsophisticated CBRNe materials in their attacks.Historically, the vast majority of lone wolvesattacks using CBRNe materials involve the useof explosives. This is mainly due to the fact thatout of the CBRNe agents explosives are themost easy to acquire.

Breivik’s interest in chemical agentsIt is known that Breivik was extremelyinterested in using chemical agents in hisattack. In his manifesto he describes how to fill

hollow tip bullets with deadly toxins such asricin and pure nicotine in an attempt to makethem even more deadly. Ricin is one of themost deadly toxins known to man and can befairly easily extracted from castor beans.Although ricin is often classified as a biologicalagent as it is extracted from naturally occurringflora, because its effects are purely chemical itwill be referred to as a chemical agent in thisreport. In fact, ricin is so potent that it is listedtogether with other deadly chemical agentssuch as sarin and VX in the ChemicalWeapons Convention.Furthermore, in its pure form nicotine is alsoextremely poisonous. In his manifesto Breivikdetails how to obtain these agents, listingnumerous recipes and instructions as to themost effective methods for acquiring them.Although no evidence of the actual use ofthese materials in his bullets have beenreleased to the public, so far we must concludethat it was most likely within his capabilities touse them.

Breivik’s interest in biological agentsOne of the agents Breivik had considered usingwas anthrax which he stated as being, “one ofthe most effective” weapons.(16) He believedthat, “anthrax has an excellent shock effect,and is likely to result in massive mediacoverage”.(17) He was confident that such anattack could result in the deaths of as many as200,000 people, however, such a large scaleattack did not fit with his goal of “surgicallyprecise attacks” on specific people andbuildings.Past incidents involving anthrax such as theSverdlovsk anthrax leak of 1979, which killed atleast sixty four people, shows the dangeranthrax poses to humans.(18) Becauseanthrax spores are highly resistant to weatherconditions they can remain active years aftertheir initial release, Breivik believed thatanthrax could be easily obtained by collectingsoil from a former anthrax site. He alsopresumed that anthrax could be obtained onthe black market. In his manifesto Breivikapproved of Ivins' use of anthrax contaminatedletters, and even included statements that hethought his “Knights Templar” should use whenmailing out similar letters.

Breivik’s interest inRadiological/Nuclear Weapons



















Breivik also discusses the use of radiologicaland nuclear weapons in his manifesto. Heoutlines the difficulties one would face in anattempt to acquire such weapons andmaterials. It is extremely unlikely that a lonewolf would be able to obtain a nuclear weapon,however it might be within the capabilities of alone wolf to acquire radiological materials thatcould be used to make a radiologicaldispersion device, or “dirty bomb”. Breivikbelieves that, “fissile material can be stolenfrom any major hospital (at least enough tocreate a nasty little dirty bomb).” An attackusing such a device would lead to large scaleeconomic and psychological damage to theaffected region.Although such a device would not initiallygenerate more structural damage or casualtiesto its target than a traditional explosive device,the cost and difficulty of clean-up could meanthat the affected area remains unusable yearsafter the initial explosion. Furthermore Breivikalso entertained the idea of attacking nuclearpower plants in hopes of causing large scaleradioactive contamination, listing detaileddescriptions of nuclear reactor safety andsecurity features in his manifesto.

Breivik’s interest in explosivesAlthough Breivik ultimately chose to usehomemade explosives in his attack, thedetailed descriptions of his experiments withtoxins such as ricin suggest that he did havethe capabilities required to use other agents.Breivik explains his decision for ultimatelychoosing the use of explosives in his attackwhen he states, “pound for pound, euro foreuro and hour for hour of effort, high explosivesare far more effective at inflicting massive …casualties.”(19)In his manifesto Breivik gives an in depthdescription of how he acquired the necessaryequipment and materials needed to create the

bomb that he detonated on July 22nd 2011. Hedescribes how he created elaborate coverstories to justify the purchase of largequantities of explosive making materials. Whilethe manufacturing of explosives has becomeincreasingly difficult in recent years due to newcountermeasures and screening procedures,Breivik’s actions show that with some carefulplanning lone wolves are still capable ofcreating powerful explosives.

ConclusionsIn short, the recent events in Norwayperpetrated by Breivik highlight several lessonspolitical decision makers and law enforcementagencies need to be aware of including;The need to pay more attention to the processof radicalization and invest more resources intode-radicalization strategies and address theculture of violence phenomenon.The need to develop better procedures andmethodologies for the timely identification ofemerging lone wolves.The development of additionalcountermeasures against the unauthorizedaccess to CBRNe materials and precursors,including more stringent nationalimplementation of existing internationaltreaties, dealing with CBRNe (such as theBiological Weapons Convention, ChemicalWeapons Convention, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and others).The need for increasing cooperation amongststates and other relevant stakeholders (lawenforcement, industry, and the research andcyber security community) in all three of theabove mentioned areas. The sheer amount ofdetailed information contained in his manifestoon executing future attacks, coupled with theextensive media coverage that Breivik’s attackreceived, means that there could be a seriousrisk of copycat behaviour by future lone wolves.

References(1)"Timeline: Recounting Norway's Three-hour Nightmare." (24 July 2011). CNN.com. 24. Web. 29 July 2011.(2)Ibid(3)Phillips, Peter J. (2011) "Lone Wolf Terrorism," Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy: Vol. 17:Iss. 1, Article 1.(4)Chermak, Steven M., Josua D. Freilich, and Zachary Shemtob. "Law Enforcement Training and the DomesticFar Right." Criminal Justice and Behavior 36.12 (2009): 1305-322. Sage Publication. Web. 20 July 2011.(5)Batsanov, Serguei. (2006) "Culture of Violence." Isodarco.it. Web. 20 Aug. 2011.(6)Kelly, Tara. "Anders Behring Breivik AntiImmigrant Views Defended By Members of Europe's FarRight." Breaking News and Opinion on the Huffington Post. 27 July 2011. Web. 20 Aug. 2011.(7)Breivik, A.B. (2011). 2083: A European Declaration of Independence.

















(8)"Lone-Wolf Terrorism." www.transnationalterrorism.eu. Instituut voor Veiligheid En Crisis management, 6 July2007. Web. 24 Aug. 2011.(9)Steiker, Jordan. "Did the Oklahoma City Bombers Succeed?" The ANNALS of the American Academy ofPolitical and Social Science 574.1 (2007): 185-94. Sage Publication. Web. 22 July 2011.(10)Kaczynski, T.J. (1996). The Unabomber manifesto: Industrial society and its future. Berkeley, CA: Jolly RogerPress.(11)Breivik, A.B. (2011). 2083: A European Declaration of Independence.(12)Day, Michael. "From Inspiring to Instructing: the Significance of the." Media, War & Conflict 3.3 (2010): 355-64.Sage Publication. Web. 28 July 2011.(13)"Chemistry Student Arrested in Suspected Gas Attack on Anti-Pope Protesters in Madrid." The Daily Mail. 17Aug. 2011. Web. 20 Aug. 2011.(14)Cratty, Carol. "Law Enforcement Alert Warns of Lone Wolf Threats - CNN.com." CNN.com International -Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News. 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Aug. 2011.(15)Breivik, A.B. (2011). 2083: A European Declaration of Independence.(16)Ibid(17)Ibid(18)Guillemin, Jeanne. Anthrax: the Investigation of a Deadly Outbreak. Berkeley: University of California, 1999.Print.(19)Breivik, A.B. (2011). 2083: A European Declaration of Independence.

NIOSH-Approved Escape Mask Designed for Terrorist AttacksChemical Spills and FiresSource: http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2012/06/niosh-approved-escape-mask-designed-for-terrorist-attacks-chemical-spills-and-fires.html

ILC Dover, the manufacturer ofprotective equipment for the mostdemanding applications, announcedthat the National Institute forOccupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH) has approved itsSCape® CO/CBRN30 Escape Mask.













This easy-to-use respirator is the only one of its kind that meets the stringent NIOSH standards for anescape respirator that can be used for 30 minute duration for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear(CBRN) and carbon monoxide (CO) protection. Most victims of fire are not injured by heat or flames, butrather by smoke and gases, especially carbon monoxide. Protection from CO could mean the

difference between life and death for people trying to evacuate homes or buildings during a fire -especially high rises, subways, factories, hospitals, government agencies and other densely populatedstructures. According to the CDC, each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional COpoisoning, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to COpoisoning. Fatality is highest among Americans 65 and older, unborn babies, infants, and peoplewith chronic heart disease, anemia, or respiratory problems."ILC Dover has a long history of protecting people from extremely dangerous toxins andelements in some of the most demanding environments--including space and the battlefield,"said Doug Durney, director of marketing and new business development, ILC Dover. "This











unsurpassed expertise is leveraged when creating and manufacturing all of our personal protectiveproducts including the SCape CO/ CBRN30 , which offers the highest level of protection available and isthe most user-friendly escape mask available today."Since Sept. 11, 2001, there has been an ever-increasing demand for civilian escape masks that arecapable of protecting untrained users from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN)inhalants. Hazardous conditions may be caused by spills of toxic gases or liquids from trucks, rail carsor industrial plants or could be the result of terrorist attacks.Unlike other escape masks, the SCape CO/CBRN30 can be used by persons with glasses and/or facialhair, has no securing straps, nose cup, or mouth bit and utilizes a positive-flow ventilation system thatautomatically activates when removed from the package. Its clear hood with large visor allows the userto perform a wide range of tasks, such as using a cell phone or other communication device, and to bemore easily recognized while reducing the feelings of claustrophobia. Other features include acomfortable neck seal and blower indicator light.

FiberTect® Technology for Dry DecontaminationSource: http://news.cbrnresourcenetwork.com/newsDetail.cfm?id=66

FiberTect® is a three layer, inert, flexible, drapable, nonwoven composite substrate for absorbing andadsorbing chemical warfare agents (CWAs), toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), toxic industrial materials(TIMs), and pesticides.FiberTect® is a three layer, inert, flexible, drapable, nonwoven composite substrate for absorbing andadsorbing chemical warfare agents (CWAs), toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), toxic industrial materials(TIMs), and pesticides. Made by First Line Technology (Chantilly, VA), it can be packaged into personalor responder decontamination kits and used in conjunction with Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion(RSDL®) to provide more effective decontamination.

FiberTect is the next generation of activated carbon dry decon. It is effective in decontaminatingpersonnel, weapons, and sensitive parts of equipment. FiberTect can also be used to wipe away bulkchemicals. Users include first responders and receivers, hospitals, HazMat units, military personnel, andfirefighters. This patented technology (US 7,516,525) is devoid of loose particles, self-contained andpackaged for easy use, storage, and transport.

FiberTect Layers, Materials, and TreatmentsFiberTect features a three layer design with top and bottom fabric layers and a center layer of fibrousactivated carbon that is needle punched into a composite fabric. The top and bottom layers providestructural coherence, improving mechanical strength and abrasion resistance, while the center layeracts as the active decontaminant.The materials used to manufacture the outer layers of FiberTect may vary in order to bestprovide absorption and/or adsorption properties for multiple functional uses. Outer layer

















materials that could be used to tailor FiberTect to specific applications include Kevlar, Nomex, rayon,wool, nylon, cotton, viscose, polypropylene, modified acrylic, and standard polyester.Once fabricated, FiberTect may be coated with additional treatments to further enhance itseffectiveness. Possible treatments include: anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-mildew, flameretardant, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and silicon.

FiberTect Form FactorsFiberTect is available in several different form factors.FiberTect Mitts allow for easy clean-up of bulk chemicals on people, weapons, and sensitive equipmentand can be used over gloves.FiberTect Wipes are versatile pieces of cut cloth that come individually wrapped and can be used in avariety of dry decon situations.Perforated rolls of FiberTect Wipes are ideal for instances in which the amount of dry decon needed isnot known.

FiberTect Development and TestingFiberTect development and testing was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security andmanaged by the Technical Support Working Group, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense forSpecial Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, U.S. Department of Defense. Product testing was conductedby Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL).FiberTect proved superior in all testing results against 30 comparable products for decontaminatingagainst toxic chemical agents, TICs, and TIMs. Challenge chemicals and results include:Sulfur Mustard: Outperformed all 30 other sorbents for absorptive capacities directly from skin (95%removal) and adsorptive capacities, including current military M291 sorbents.Methylparathion (organophosphate): Outperformed all sorbents for absorptive and adsorptivecapacities.70% Nitric Acid, 70% Sulfuric Acid, 10 % Sodium Hypochlorite, and P-Zylene: No materialdegradation.Water and P-Xylene: Outperformed other sorbents for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic absorptivecapabilities.

About First Line TechnologyFounded in 2003, First Line Technology, LLC is an ISO 9001:2008-certified manufacturer and supplierof innovative solutions for first responders and the military. Current sole source product lines includePhaseCore® personal cooling products, and the AmbuBus Bus Stretcher Conversion Kit.

Chemical, Biological and Nuclear WarfareSource: http://www.chembio.biz/

As threats to global security become ever moresubtle and complex, it has become increasinglyvital for nations to prove themselves equallyadept in their response to these threats –especially in the world of chemical andbiological warfare. Defence departmentstherefore need to be kept regularly informedabout fast-changing CBR technologies in orderto adapt and respond to a shifting defencelandscape.This is why React Media, publisher ofChemical, Biological and Nuclear Warfare, hasdecided to increase the frequency of thisindispensable publication to twice per year and

introduce a quarterly eZine, delivered tosubscribers only. Led by industry expert AndyOppenheimer, CBNW will keep readersinformed about the latest breakthroughs bycompanies and defence departments.International partnerships are becomingincreasingly vital to the prosperity and growthof all defence and aerospace companies, sowe will also be reporting on how the globalchemical and biological defence industries areevolving in this new businessenvironment.Each section of CBNW will includearticles by internationally recognized





















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version hits desks.In the US, CBNW is distributed to members ofthe Senate and House AppropriationsCommittees, plus their senior staff members,senior members of the Department of Defence,the relevant section of the media and defencethink-tanks.We're excited about keeping industry leadersbetter and more frequently informed about newdevelopments in the field of chemical andbiological warfare. We look forward to receivingcomments from you on how you'd likeCBNW Review to be even more relevant toyour area of expertise.

CBNW Editor Andy Oppenheimer is aUK-based leading authority on chemical,biological, radiological and nuclearweapons and counterterrorism. He is aMember of the International Associationof Bomb Technicians and Investigators(IABTI) and author of 'IRA – The Bombsand the Bullets: A History of DeadlyIngenuity'.

Report Cites Risks of WMD Material Theft in IndiaSource:http://www.nti.rsvp1.com/gsn/article/report-highlights-risks-cbrn-material-theft-india/?mgh=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nti.org&mgf=1

A new expert report highlights the continuedrisk that ingredients suitable foruse in a weapon of massdestruction could be stolenfrom facilities in India, DNAIndia reported on Tuesday.The analysis by the BritishRoyal United Services Instituteand the Observer ResearchFoundation in New Delhiexamines the potential for localand regional extremistorganizations to obtainchemical, biological andradiological materials frominsufficiently protected plants inthe nation.The report describes possiblethreats in India such as aradiological "dirty bomb" strikein which conventionalexplosives would be used to spread radioactivematerials across a wide area; a frontal attackon a plant where chemical, biological, or

radiological substances are used; or an effortto sneak into anindustrial plant withthe purpose ofpilfering materials or

disablingequipment.Ex-Home SecretaryG.K. Pillai said NewDelhi became awareof the real danger ofa WMD attack in2009 when 14,000metric tons ofindustrial chemicalswere reportedmissing in MadhyaPradesh. Even so,the risk of achemical, biological,

orradiological terrorist attack has beenof "low priority importance" to theIndian government, he said.























There have been a number of instances overthe years in which radiological or nuclearmaterials have gone missing in India orunexpectedly turned up, according to thereport. Those incidents include the 2008confiscation by police of 9 pounds of uraniumin Bihar state.Physical protections vary greatly at sites wherechemical, biological, and radiological materials

are used, according to the report. Biggerinstallations, especially those that are guardedby the Central Industrial Security Force, areconsidered fairly secure. However, small andmedium-size sites including some withnongovernmental security guards areconsidered more vulnerable. The report'sauthors recommended development of moreuniform standards for site security.

NOTE: You can read the full report in the Newsletter’s website – “CBRNE-CT Papers” section

Syria Moving Parts of Chemical ArsenalSource: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/world/middleeast/syria-moves-some-

chemical-weapons-us-says.html?_r=1

Syria has started moving (July 13, 2012) some parts of its huge stockpile ofchemical weapons out of storage, American officials said Friday, but it was

uncertain whether the transfer was a precaution as security conditions across the country rapidlydeteriorated, or something more sinister.Some analysts and lawmakers said Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, might use chemical weapons ina last-ditch attack against an increasingly potent rebel force, possibly as part of a campaign of ethniccleansing. Other officials said Syrian security forces might be moving parts of the arsenal to prevent itfrom falling into rebel hands.

UK MoD DCBRNC takes delivery of latest CBRN trainingsimulation systemsSource: http://www.argonelectronics.com/news/dcbrnc-takes-delivery-latest-cbrn-training-simulation-systems/

The UK MoD Defence Chemical, Biological,Radiological and Nuclear Centre (DCBRNC) atWinterbourne Gunner has justtaken delivery of the latestCBRN training simulationsystems. Supplied by UKmanufacturer ArgonElectronics, the new systemsinclude both instrumentationand simulation software.CBRN Programme TeamLeader, Phil Strudley, says,“The acquisition of this latestequipment is an importantstep for the CBRN trainingcentre, providing our trainerswith a range of sophisticatedtools that allow us to simulatea wide range of threatscenarios”.The CBRN team workedclosely with Argon to ensure that the contractwas fulfilled on time and within budget. “Theequipment was specified, ordered and

delivered within sixteen weeks”, adds PhilStrudley. “This shows what can be achieved

with a good workingrelationship between ourDE&S team and aspecialised UKmanufacturer”.The Argon equipmentincludes the company’slatest CAMSIM and LCADhand held instruments, theMCAD simulator and theadvanced PlumeSIM widearea CBRN field exerciseand desktop trainingsystem. This enablesinstructors to managemultiple remote simulatorinstruments under a fullyconfigurable virtualplume, in real time,

over user selected mapping.Phil Strudley concludes, “Tools suchas PlumeSIM will allow us to train































personnel faster and more efficiently, givingthem the knowledge and experience that will

help them perform an even better job once theyreturn to operational duties. These advancedsimulators will also help reduce the IntegratedLogistics Support costs associated with ourdetectors”.Steven Pike, Managing Director of ArgonElectronics, says, “The need for effectivetraining and simulation is becoming

increasingly important. As a result, theDCBRNC is playing a vital role in providing

world class support to the UK’s armed forces,helping to protect both military and civilianpersonnel. We’re delighted that the Centrechose to specify Argon simulationinstrumentation and software for this essentialfunction, and have worked closely with theDE&S team at Abbey Wood to ensure that ourequipment was delivered to a tight time-scale.”

CBRN PlumeSIMWide area CBRN / HazMat field exercise and table training system. Everyone we demonstrate thissystem to is amazed at the impact it can have on exercises. We have a free evaluation copy of thePlumeSIM software that you can try, simply make an enquiry.

Portable and very quick to set up and use. Planning mode enables you to prepare exercises on your PC / Laptop without system

hardware. Simple, flexible scenario creation based upon single or multiple CWA, HazMat &

radiological releases. User defined environmental conditions.























Perfect for counter terrorism exercisces, nuclear emergency exercises. Simulation of plumes, deposition and hot spots. Table top classroom mode for pre-exercise familiarisation. Very modular system enabling you to expand as and when budgets permit. Real time trainee movement and instrument usage reporting, with recording for After Action

Review. Supports M4 JCAD-SIM, CAMSIM, AP2/4C-SIM, RDS200-SIM, EPD-Mk2-SIM, AN/PDR-77-

/VDR-2 / RDS100-SIM, SAM935 Spectrometer Simulator and more. Radiological or chemical / HazMat only version available with future upgrade option.

Revealing "Saddam's Secrets"By Georges Sada (with Jim Nelson), Integrity PublishingReviewed by Peter RyanSource: http://middleeastwindow.com/node/1593

It would be fairto say thatevery book

publishedabout Iraqsince 2003 isjudged byone centralcriteria: isthe authorattempting

to criticize orjustify the U.S.-led invasion? A reader,generally, either believes that the war was anabsolute mistake or an absolute necessity. Anoccupation or a liberation. An assault onhuman rights or a humane intervention. Eitherway, they mostly want to see their viewsconfirmed rather than challenged. And bothsides are generating millions for the publishingindustry. Even epic histories like Robert Fisk'sGreat War for Civilization (which is primarilyabout events prior to the second Gulf war) rushto make their feelings on the invasion known-pro or con-in the first chapter. The publishersknow full well that this is the "acid test" whichwill determine whether or not a casual browserat Borders decides that yet another book aboutthe Middle East is worth its 20 to 30 dollarcover price.Georges Sada's new book Saddam's Secrets:How an Iraqi General Defied and SurvivedSaddam Hussein follows this pattern perfectly.In the first chapter, he announces his position:"The decision to remove Saddam was the rightthing to do. It was done at the right time and, Ibelieve, in the right way." At this sentence, halfthe audience is hooked. The other half slamsthe cover shut.

But, speaking as someone who went to thestreets to protest the U.S.-led invasion, I urgeany reader, regardless of their politicalbackground, not to abandon Georges' book sohastily. As the memoir of a former Iraqi generalwho dared to tell the truth to Saddam Hussein,Saddam's Secrets offers an inspiring accountof a man who was able to "speak truth topower" and live to tell about it.Saddam's Secrets is being marketed as the"book that proves Saddam secretly moved hisWMDs to Syria" before the war. This is not anew accusation. It is anidea that has beensuggested by U.S.weapons inspectorsand Israeli intelligencesources. Sada's bookoffers no overwhelmingnew proof of the Iraq-Syria WMD connection(he was not a firsthandwitness to the transportof weapons but he isfriends with an Iraqiwho claims to haveparticipated in the transfer). So many mightwonder: why all the hype?But there is a better reason to read this book.Georges spent his life in the Iraqi military. But itbecomes increasingly clear, chapter afterchapter, that Georges is, and always has been,a man in pursuit of peace. The fact that hispath-of-peace led him through the Iraqi airforce, Saddam's inner circle and, most recently,as spokesperson for Iraqi PrimeMinister Iyad Illaywi, only makes hisstory that much more remarkable.























Chapters: Part I: "I have always been in love with flying" Part II: "Don't be a Mute Satan" Part III: The Wrath of Uday Part IV: The Fall of Saddam Part V: WMDs-the Evidence Part VI: Forgiveness

Part V: WMDs-the Evidence

Most Americans believe the Iraqi WMD debate is over. This is not surprising considering that David Kay,Bush's top weapons expert in Iraq, said in January of 2004 that "My summary view, based on what I'veseen, is we're very unlikely to find large stockpiles of weapons- I don't think they exist." In 2005, CharlesDuelfer, the chief U.S. investigator officially "gave up" the search for WMD in Iraq. Former US secretaryof state Colin Powell referred to his presentation to the United Nations, offering "proof" of Iraq's WMDprogram, as a "blot" on his record.Though both Republicans and Democrats widely believed that Saddam possessed WMD before thewar, the consensus has now changed. Now both sides largely believe that Saddam had no weapons ofmass destruction at the time of the invasion-or at least, he had no substantial weapons program.But Charles Duelfer, among others, never ruled out the possibility that Iraq's WMDs had been moved toSyria. "[We are] unable to rule out the possibility that WMD was evacuated to Syria before the war," hetold reporters, remarking that they had uncovered "sufficiently credible" evidence that this may haveoccurred. According to a report from the Telegraph David Kay told reporters "We are not talking about alarge stockpile of weapons... But we know from some of the interrogations of former Iraqi officials that alot of material went to Syria before the war, including some components of Saddam's WMD programme.Precisely what went to Syria, and what has happened to it, is a major issue that needs to be resolved."Saddam's Secrets will largely be marketed as "the book that proves Saddam hid his WMDs in Syria."This aspect of Georges' book has already earned him an interview on the Fox News' show, Hannity andColmes. Unfortunately, the Syria-Iraq WMD connection is probably the weakest link in Georges'narrative.On June 4th, 2002 a dam in Zeyzoun, Syria collapsed. The flood waters covered an area of nearly fortysquare miles. The Syrian government reached out to its neighbors, Jordan and Iraq, for assistance.Georges believes that Saddam used this as an opportunity to transfer his remaining WMDs across theSyrian border. Though Georges did not personally witness this transaction, he knows someone who did.Which is the basis of his evidence. "My knowledge of these transfers," he states, "[comes] from a manwho was actually involved in the transfers-a civilian pilot who witnessed the commercial 747 go backand forth between Syria and Iraq."Don't get me wrong-Georges may be right. U.S. intelligence has been unable to rule out the possibilitythat Iraq transferred WMDs to Syria and David Kay has suggested that a small amount of WMDcomponents were shipped across the border (but not the "large stockpiles" Saddam was believed tohave possessed). Israeli intelligence has recently made similar allegations. But most readers won't findthe fact that Georges knows a guy who claims to have witnessed the transfers particularly compelling.Worthy of investigation, yes. But not, to quote George Tenet, a "slam dunk" case.Georges is largely dismissive of those who question the presence of WMDs in Iraq, stating, "I'mconvinced it was only politics that made some people change their minds after the fact." This is clearlyan exaggeration. Every effort was made to track down the weapons of mass destruction, but ourweapons inspectors came home empty-handed. Politicians from both parties have pointed to this as asign of "intelligence failures" on the part of the CIA. Even if Saddam did still have some elements of aWMD program before the invasion (which seems plausible), the politicians who dragged America intowar made much more sweeping claims. We were told not only that Saddam had large stockpiles ofweapons but that, with these weapons, he posed an imminent threat to the United States.













A World War 1 soldier being treated for mustard gas. Photo: Jon Spence

Mustard gasSource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonspence/5174852937/

After suffering “shell-shock” in 1916, my Grandfather returned to France in June 1918. It was to be ashort-lived return to the Front. On 8 August 1918 he was exposed to mustard gas at close range whilstwaiting in a shell hole to advance. Although he was wearing a mask, gas entered the mask just abovethe eye. The stretcher-bearers noticed this and advised him to go back in the ambulance to the coast.Although, at first, he felt no pain and he insisted he was fit to carry on, the medics persevered andpersuaded him to take the ambulance away from the immediate danger. He remained in the ambulancefor twenty-four hours unattended. On 9 August he was admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital inRouen, then on 20 August was transferred to Trent Bridge Hospital in Nottingham, where thisphotograph was taken.

The medical report for 20 August reads -“Sgt S …… on August 8th 1918 was exposed to the Enemy's "Mustard Gas" in France at close range.His clothes were saturated with gas, chiefly on the right side. As he was not able to get attention andhave his clothes removed, there was extensive "burning" of the skin, and in parts this was severe.Almost the whole surface of the body was affected; the more seriously injured parts were bothshoulders and axillae, back of the neck, right side of the chest, back and buttocks, right leg to below theknee and genitals.When admitted to the . . . . . hospital on August 20th, these parts were all septic and discharging pus.Flavine had been used, and was continued for a few days, in an attempt to lessen thedischarge of pus; but the dressing was so extremely painful to the patient and the benefit onlypartial, that it was given up, and BURNOL (No. 7 paraffin) treatment begun”.















Resolving mystery odor alarmsSource: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20120724-resolving-mystery-odor-alarms

In May, more than 1,000 people wereevacuated from Terminal 2 at the FortLauderdale airport. The evacuation wascaused after a strong odor was detected nearthe security checkpoint. Three TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA) employees andtwo travelers were overcome by the fumes andtaken to a nearby hospital.Part of the terminal remained evacuated forapproximately two hours as local firedepartments and DHS responded to thescene. People evacuated from the area statedthat the odor had a gas-like smell, but by thetime hazardous materials teams were able tosample the air, nothing out of the ordinary wasfound. The incident caused a number ofdeparting flights to be delayed.Cinnaminson, New Jersey-based EMSLAnalytical says that mystery odors issues, likewhat occurred at the Fort Lauderdale airport,happen on a much more frequent basis thanmany people believe. They can be caused by

a wide range of sources that can occur bothwithin a building or infiltrate a structure from anoutside source.As in the Florida case, if air samples cannot betaken quickly enough, the mystery odor maydissipate to such a low level as to beinconclusive or undetectable. One way toovercome this in places that have recurringmystery odors is to have sampling equipmenton hand and staff trained quickly to take anair sample.Joe Frasca, senior vice president for marketingat EMSL Analytical says, “Mystery odors are attimes easily identified. More often than not itcan be a real challenge to pinpoint andfrequently requires air sampling to determineits source and to be able to rectify theproblem. Air sampling will identify what is inthe air as some odors may not be hazardous topeople’s health, but others can causeeverything from short to long termhealth concerns.”

►Watch an EMSL-sponsored an educational video about mystery odors.

HazMatID EliteSource: http://www.smithsdetection.com/HazMatIDElite.php

Feature highlights Optimized for easy

operation in personal protectivegear

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Integrated pressuredevice for analysis of solidmaterials, plus direct touch-to-sample capability

Automated analysis ofmixtures with priority alerting forexplosives, CWAs, TICs andnarcotics

Long-range, embeddedRF wireless transmission

HazMatID Elite is a next-generation handheld unknown solid and liquid chemical identifier thatcombines high performance with simplicity and performs an analysis in 1 minute or less. Using FourierTransform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, HazMatID Elite is capable of identifying chemicalwarfare agents, explosives, toxic industrial chemicals, narcotics, suspicious powders,amongother dangerous chemical classes.































Analysis is performed by placing a small amount of unknown substance onto the diamond atr sensorand applying pressure with an integrated pressfor solid samples. The sample interface alsoincludes an integrated well for the containment ofliquid samples. A second, touch-to-sample,diamond ATR interface is available for rapidanalysis of pooled liquids and surface films, andenables robotics applications.MIL-STD-810G certified for operation in harshconditions, HazMatID Elite has the widest thermaland solar operational range of any portable orhandheld chemicalidentifier. Its revolutionaryoptical engine also provides high vibration

immunity and resistance to mechanical disturbancesseen during vehicle or human transport.The HazMatID Elite user interface contains a largedisplay screen with a high viewing angle andvisibility in direct sunlight conditions, large keypadcontrols for effective operation in protective gear,and an intuitive software workflow design. On-screeninstructional graphics guide users through theessential operations of the device to maximize ease-of-use and reduce the training burden for securitypersonnel.Long-range, embedded rf wireless transmission is

also included for rapid communication of data out of the hotzone to aid in information integration,decision making, and connection to ReachBackID™ 24/7/365 support services. PC-based commandsoftware provides advanced data handling capabilities for specialized users.

SpecificationsTechnology Fourier-Transform Infrared SpectroscopySize 26.9 x 14.3 x 7.9 cm (10 5/8 x 5 5/8 x 3 1/8 in)Weight 2.29 kg (5.05 lbs.)SampleInterface

Diamond ATR sensor with integrated solid press and liquids wellSecond, touch-to-sample diamond ATR sensor for direct sampling

Decon IP-67 rated and sealed for decontamination by immersion

OperationalRanges

Operational in extreme weather and temperatures ranging from -20°C to 50°C (-4°Fto 122°F).Humidity ranging from 0-100%.

User Interface4.3 inches internally-bonded LCD color display for high visibility in direct sunlightconditionsIndividually-lit keypad and instructional graphics guide users through the operation ofthe device









OperationalRanges











OperationalRanges





Power Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for 4 hours of operationDisposable 123A battery compatible

WirelessEmbedded RF modem for 1 km line-of-sight data transfer and command controlFIPS 140-2 compliant encryptionGPS included

External DataStorage Full USB support

Libraries10,000 spectra of chemical warfare agents, explosives, narcotics, TICs, pesticides,white powder, and other chemical classes. User-defined libraries transferable from theHazMatID.

Available OptionsCommand PCSoftware

Advanced software package for data management and spectral reprocessing againstupgraded databases (up to 35,000 spectra)

Repeater RF repeater for extending the wireless data transfer rangeColors Olive drab or yellow

The Specter of Syrian Chemical WeaponsBy Scott StewartSource:http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/specter-syrian-chemical-weapons?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium= email&utm_campaign=20120802&utm_term=sweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=8f7fb73e59ff4dbbb29e9a133767fe5b

The unraveling of the al Assad regime in Syriawill produce many geopolitical consequences.One potential consequence has garnered agreat deal of media attention in recent days:the possibility of the regime losing control of itschemical weapons stockpile. In an interviewaired July 30 on CNN, U.S. Secretary ofDefense Leon Panetta said it would be a"disaster to have those chemical weapons fallinto the wrong hands -- hands of Hezbollah orother extremists in that area." When he

mentioned other extremists, Panetta wasreferring to local and transnational jihadists,such as members of the group Jabhat al-Nusra, which has been fighting with otheropposition forces against the Syrian regime. Hewas also referring to the many Palestinianmilitant groups such as Hamas and the PopularFront for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, which have longhad a presence in Syria and until



























recently have been supported by the al Assadregime.The fear is that the jihadists will obtainchemical weapons to use in terrorist attacksagainst the West. Israel is also concerned thatPalestinian groups could use them in terroristattacks inside Israel or that Hezbollah coulduse such weapons against the Israelis in aconventional military battle. However, while thesecurity of these weapons is a legitimateconcern, it is important to recognize that thereare a number of technical and practicalconsiderations that will limit the impact of theseweapons even if a militant group were able toobtain them.

Militant Use of Chemical WeaponsMilitant groups have long had a fascination withchemical weapons. One of the largest non-state chemical and biological weaponsprograms in history belonged to the AumShinrikyo organization in Japan. The group hadlarge production facilities located in anindustrial park that it used to producethousands of gallons of ineffective biologicalagents. After the failure of its biologicalprogram, it shifted its focus to chemicalweapons production and conducted a numberof attacks using chemical agents such ashydrogen cyanide gas, phosgene and VX andsarin nerve agents.Jihadists have also demonstrated an interest inchemical weapons. The investigation of the1993 World Trade Center bombing found thatbombmaker Abdul Basit (aka Ramzi Yousef)had added sodium cyanide to the large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonatedin the Trade Center's basement parkinggarage. The cyanide was either consumed orso widely scattered by the huge blast that itseffects were not noticed at the time of theattack. The presence of the cyanide was onlyuncovered after investigators found a list of thechemicals ordered by conspirator Nidal Ayyadand debriefed Basit after his arrest.In his testimony at his 2001 trial for theMillennium Bomb plot, Ahmed Ressamdescribed training he had received at alQaeda's Deronta facility in Afghanistan forbuilding a hydrogen cyanide device. Ressamsaid members of the group had practiced theirskills, using the gas to kill a dog that wasconfined in a small box.Videos found by U.S. troops after the invasionof Afghanistan supported Ressam's testimony -

- as did confiscated al Qaeda training manualsthat contained recipes for biological toxins andchemical agents, including hydrogen cyanidegas. The documents recovered in Afghanistanprompted the CIA to publish a report on alQaeda's chemical and biological weaponsprogram that created a lot of chatter in late2004.There have been other examples as well. InFebruary 2002, Italian authorities arrestedseveral Moroccan men who were found withabout 4 kilograms (9 pounds) of potassiumferrocyanide and allegedly were planning toattack the U.S. Embassy in Rome.In June 2006, Time magazine broke the storyof an alleged al Qaeda plot to attack subwaysin the United States using improvised devicesdesigned to generate hydrogen cyanide gas.The plot was reportedly aborted because the alQaeda leadership feared it would beineffective.In 2007, jihadist militants deployed a series oflarge vehicle-borne improvised explosivedevices augmented with chlorine gas againsttargets in Iraq. However, the explosives inthese attacks inflicted far more casualties thanthe gas. This caused the militants to deem theaddition of chlorine to the devices as not worththe effort, and the Iraqi jihadists abandonedtheir chemical warfare experiment in favor ofemploying vehicle-borne improvised explosivedevices without a chemical kicker.There have also been several credible reportsin Iraq of militants using chemical artilleryrounds in improvised explosive device attacksagainst coalition forces, but those attacks alsoappear to have been largely ineffective.

Difficult to EmployUsing chemical munitions on the battlefieldpresents a number of challenges. The first ofthese is sufficiently concentrating the chemicalagent to affect the targeted troops. In order toachieve heavy concentrations of the agent,chemical weapon attacks were usuallydelivered by a massive artillery bombardmentusing chemical weapons shells. Soviet militarychemical weapons doctrine relied heavily onweapons systems such as batteries of BM-21multiple rocket launchers, which can be used todeliver a massive amount of ordnance to atargeted area. Additionally, it is verydifficult to control the gas cloudcreated by the massive barrage.There were instances in World War I















and in the Iran-Iraq War in which troops wereaffected by chemical weapon clouds that hadbeen created by their own artillery but hadblown back upon them.Delivering a lethal dose is also a problem inemploying chemical weapons in terroristattacks, as seen by the attacks outlined above.For example, in the March 20, 1995, attack onthe Tokyo subway system, Aum Shinrikyomembers punctured 11 plastic bags filled withsarin on five different subway trains. Despitethe typically very heavy crowds on the trainsand in the Tokyo subway stations that morning,the attacks resulted in only 12 deaths --although thousands of other commuters weresickened by the attack, some severely.The Syrian regime is thought to have mustardgas as well as tabun, sarin and VX nerveagents in its chemical weapons inventory.Mustard gas, a blistering agent, is the leastdangerous of these compounds. In World WarI, less than 5 percent of the troops who wereexposed to mustard gas died. Tabun and sarintend to be deployed in a volatile liquid form thatevaporates to form a gas. Once in gas form,these agents tend to dissipate somewhatquickly. VX, on the other hand, a viscous nerveagent, was developed to persist in an areaafter it is delivered in order to prevent anenemy force from massing in or passingthrough that area. While VX is more persistent,it is more difficult to cause a mass casualtyattack with it since droplets of the liquid agentmust come into contact with the victim, unlikeother agents that evaporate to form a largecloud.But there are other difficulties besidesdelivering a lethal dose. Because ofimprovements in security measures andintelligence programs since 9/11, it has provedvery difficult for jihadists to conduct attacks inthe West, even when their attack plans haveincluded using locally manufacturedexplosives. There have been numerous casesin which plots have either failed, like the May2010 Times Square attack involving FaisalShahzad, or been detected and thwarted, likethe September 2009 plot to attack the NewYork subway system involving Najibullah Zazi.Because of the improved security, it would bevery difficult for jihadists to smuggle chemicalagents into the United States or Europe, even ifthey were able to obtain them. Indeed, asmentioned above, the chemical artillery roundsused in improvised explosive devices in Iraq

were employed in that country, not smuggledout of the region.This means that jihadists not only face thetactical problem of effectively employing theagent in an attack but also the logisticalproblem of transporting it to the West. Thisdifficulty of transport will increase further asawareness of the threat increases. One wayaround the logistical problem would be to usethe agent against a soft target in the region.Such targets could include hotels, tourist sites,airport arrival lounges or even Western airlinersdeparting from airports with less than optimalsecurity.Another option for jihadists or Palestinianmilitants could be to attempt to smuggle thechemical agent into Israel for use in an attack.However, in recent years, increased securitymeasures following past suicide bombingattacks in Israel have caused problems formilitant groups smuggling weapons into Israel.The same problems would apply to chemicalagents -- especially since border security hasalready been stepped up again due to theincreased flow of weapons from Libya to Gaza.Militants could attempt to solve this logisticalchallenge by launching a warhead or a barrageof warheads into Israel using rockets, but suchmilitant rocket fire tends to be very inaccurateand, like conventional rocket warheads, thesechemical warheads would be unlikely to hit anytarget of value. Even if a rocket landed in apopulated area, it would be unlikely to producemany casualties due to the problem of creatinga lethal concentration of the agent -- although itwould certainly cause a mass panic.The use of chemical weapons would alsoundoubtedly spur Israel to retaliate heavily inorder to deter additional attacks. This threat ofmassive retaliation has kept Syria from usingchemical weapons against Israel or allowing itsmilitant proxies to use them.Hezbollah may be the militant organization inthe region that could most effectively utilizeSyrian chemical munitions. The grouppossesses a large inventory of artillery rockets,which could be used to deliver the type ofbarrage attack required for a successfulchemical weapon attack. Rumors have beenswirling around the region for many monthsthat Libyan rebels sold some chemicalmunitions to Hezbollah and Hamas.While we have seen confirmedreports that man-portable air-defensesystems and other Libyan weapons











are being smuggled into Sinai en route toGaza, there has been no confirmation thatchemical rounds are being smuggled out ofLibya.Still, even if Hezbollah were to receive astockpile of chemical munitions from Syria orLibya, it has a great deal to lose by employingsuch munitions. First, it would have to face theaforementioned massive retaliation from Israel.While Israel was somewhat constrained in itsattacks on Hezbollah's leadership andinfrastructure in the August 2006 war, it isunlikely to be nearly as constrained inresponding to a chemical weapon attack on itsarmed forces or a population center. Becauseof the way chemical weapons are viewed, theIsraelis would be seen internationally as having

just cause for massive retaliation. Second,Hezbollah would face severe internationalrepercussions over any such attack. As anorganization, Hezbollah has been working formany years to establish itself as a legitimatepolitical party in Lebanon and avoid beinglabeled as a terrorist organization in Europeand elsewhere. A chemical weapon attackwould bring heavy international condemnationand would not be in the group's best interest atthis time.So, while securing Syrian chemical munitions isan imperative, there are tactical and practicalconstraints that will prevent militants fromcreating the type of nightmare scenariodiscussed in the media, even if some chemicalweapons fell into the wrong hands

.New GAO Report on Chemical Facility SecuritySource: http://www.maritime-executive.com/pressrelease/new-gao-report-on-chemical-facility-security

For those whose maritime security portfoliosinclude the transport and storage of hazardouschemicals in port areas, GAO recentlyreleased its report on the CFATSprogram entitled, CriticalInfrastructure Protection: DHS IsTaking Action to Better Manage ItsChemical Security Program, but It IsToo Early to Assess Results. In aterrorist attack, including one in a port,hazardous chemicals stored at a wide varietyof facilities could be used to kill or injure largenumbers of people. For example, terroristcould release chemicals held at these facilitiesto harm the surrounding populations, or stealthe chemicals and use them to make chemicalweapons, or use them to build an improvisedexplosive device. Any of these scenarios in aport could wreak havoc to the maritimetransportation system. To reduce this threat,Congress passed legislation to create theChemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards(CFATS) program in 2006.The GAO report was released at a July 26hearing by the House of Representatives,Committee on Appropriations, Subcommitteeon Homeland Security. Due to late changes inthe schedule of the House of Representatives,the hearing was abbreviated and did notinclude full oral statements or questions andanswers. Nevertheless, the GAO reportprovides the first results of its review of theCFATS program run by the Department of

Homeland Security’s National Protection andPrograms Directorate (NPPD). Some largechemical facilities in ports fall under both the

Maritime Transportation Security Act orMTSA (for their waterside operations) andCFATS (for their operations back from thewater). In December 2011, an NPPDinternal memo was leaked to the media,

revealing risks to the program. The GAOreview focused primarily on the internalmemorandum (i.e., how it was developed andwhat challenges it found) as well as the relatedaction plan (i.e., what corrective actions wereunderway and what was their status). Keyfindings are summarized below:The Internal Memo. The internal memodiscussed numerous challenges that put theCFATS program at risk. Five-and-a-half yearsafter CFATS became law, and after almost halfa billion dollars in spending, the CFATSprogram office had not approved any sitesecurity plans or carried out any complianceinspections at regulated facilities. This is incontrast to the U.S. Coast Guard, which had aprocess to approve security plans and inspectport facilities in place within two years afterMTSA became law. The CFATS memoattributed the program’s problems to a lack ofplanning, poor internal controls, and aworkforce whose skills wereinadequate to fulfill the program’smission. The internal memo alsocited the slow pace of the site security





















plan approval process, the lack of anestablished inspection process, an inability toperform compliance inspections, and the lackof a records management system to documentactivities and decisions. The memo also citedhuman capital management problems andweak administrative controls over vehicles,purchase cards and travel.The Action Plan. GAO found that the agencyhad a detailed plan, with 94 items andcorrective actions linked back to the internalmemo. The action plan also identified specificofficials accountable to resolve each item, andhad projected milestones for trackingprogress. This approach is consistent withGAO and other criteria for successfullymanaging programs and projects. Based onGAO’s detailed review of the June 2012version of the action plan, the agency wasmaking progress and had completed 40percent of the corrective actions. The area ofthe most progress was human capital issues(with 57% of corrective actions closed), whilethe area of the least progress was the coremission issues (with 27% closed). Many of thecore mission issues will require long termefforts to close. For example, it could take 18months to complete the first complianceinspections, and several years to completesuch inspections for all of the 4,500 chemical

facilities that fall under CFATS regulation. Inaddition, GAO’s analysis of the evolving actionplan and milestones found that almost half ofthe action item completion dates have slipped,with several items slipping by more than 90days. The GAO report has both a graphic(figure 4) and an appendix (appendix III) whichprovide more details on agency progress incompleting the various action items. Butoverall, GAO found that it was too early todetermine if the corrective actions to date hadput CFATS back on the right track. GAOrecommended that NPPD put performancemeasures in place to link the action planprogress to the longer-term mission ofassessing risks and inspecting facilities.GAO will continue to review the CFATSprogram for the Appropriations Committee andother committees of the House and Senate.This new review will shift focus away from theinternal memo and action plan toward NPPDefforts to advance the core CFATS mission,including efforts to determine chemical facilityrisk, manage the process used to assessvulnerabilities, review security plans, andperform inspections; and work with owners andoperators of high-risk chemical facilities, someof which operate in the maritime environment.GAO expects to report on the results of thisreview in early 2013.

NOTE: To obtain a copy, visit GAO’s website at www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-12-515T , and next tothe word “Highlights,” click on “View Report (pdf).”

New CBRN filter claims ten year shelf lifeSource: http://www.globalresponsepublishing.com/story.php?id=1347

Avon Protection has launched a new conformalmilitary CBRN filter that is designed to providean accurate measure of usable life span with aunique end of service life indicator.Avon has based the MILCF50’s design andend of life technology on its exclusiveconformal filter range for the US army’s M50and M53 mask series. It utilises Avon’sconformal filter design and is designed to fit thenew generation of 50 series masks.By adding extra robust packaging andincorporating an end of life indicator thatinstantly gauges any moisture ingress, Avonclaims that shelf life can beguaranteed for 10 years.Avon’s MILCF50 filter offersprotection against chemical, biological

















and radiological warfare agents in accordancewith NATO requirements. It utilises Avon’s

advanced filter design and manufacturingtechnology, so offers defence against certaintoxic industrial chemicals such as chlorine,

hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and organicvapours with a boiling point of above 65

Celsius. The filter is also effective against dust,fumes, bacteria and virus.

More info available at:http://www.avon-protection.com/Downloads/2011_us/GR00773-01%20Filter%20Data%20Sheet%20MILCF50.pdf

















HZS new generation of CWA stimulantSource: http://www.hotzonesolutions.com

Austrian NBC defensehas conducted extensivetesting with our simulantand were very satisfied

with the results concluding that HZS simulants fit perfectly their trainingrequirement (detection and decontamination).Dutch NBC defense used them during their last training with excellent results; they already initiate theprocurement process.Numerous letters of interest for that new product has been received already.We are now in discussion with the Dutch ministry of defense concerning the export license requirementand patent issues. We hope to be able to start the selling in the coming two months.













International CBRNE Master CourseSource: http://www.hotzonesolutions.com

On June 8th 2012 a Workshop was held at theTor Vergata University of Rome to present theInternational CBRNE Master Course, which willbe launched in academic year 2013-2014.The representatives of all Institutions involvedin CBRNE response, high ranking officials ofthe Italian Armed Forces, outstandingexponents of the Industry, and the highestauthorities of the University – including theRector – participated in the workshops.Representatives of NATO, the EDA, and otherEuropean University also attended the eventand expressed their interest in the initiative.Mr. Dieter Rothbacher – HZS Group co-ownerand co-founder – represented the Companyand chaired a Round Table with the Italianauthorities and experts. It was an extremelysuccessful Workshop in terms of turnout andmedia coverage, please follow the link to watchthe video (in Italian).http://www.uniroma.tv/video.asp?id=21340At the end of the Conference, HotzoneSolutions Group signed an agreement withthe University of Tor Vergata (Rome, Italy),the Seibersdorf Laboratories (Austria), VOPCZ (Czech Republic), and the ChornobylCentre (Ukraine) for the organisation andcarrying out of the Master Course.

The International CBRN Master Course willtake place at the University’s premises, as wellas in outstanding international trainingfacilities. Master Course participants shallattend most classes and lectures in Rome, atTor Vergata, which is the second oldest publicuniversity in Rome and among the largest inItaly. With its 43,000 students, its 1,538 facultymembers, its 6 schools (including the schoolsof Economics, Law, Engineering, Arts andHumanities, Medicine, Science), its 157 post-graduate Master Courses and 78 Ph.DProgrammes, Tor Vergata is one of the mostprestigious public universities in Italy, and isincluded in the list of the 150 best universitiesin Europe.It will be an absolutely unique and CBRNEMaster Course, as it will combine traditionalclasses and lectures with highly specialisedand realistic training, including Live AgentTraining (LAT) and the use of open and closedradioactive sources. The practical trainingmodules will be conducted at three specialisedInternational Partner Facilities – namelySeibersdorf Laboratories ,VOP CZ , and theChornobyl Centre – and will be coordinated byHotzone Solutions experts.

International CBRNE InstituteSource: http://www.hotzonesolutions.com

Hotzone Solutions has established theInternational CBRNe Institute (ICI) inpartnership with the municipality of the town ofLes Bons Villiers, Belgium.The CBRNe expertise and knowledge of theICI are aimed at assisting national as well asinternational experts, relevant internationalorganizations and their staff members, andinterested governments in adapting theirdoctrine through active risk management,reshaping or adapting CBRNe forces tobecome more flexible, responsive,multidisciplinary and multiagency.The mission of the ICI is to provide basic andadvanced awareness training courses onCBRNe matters as follows: Preparedness of students for prior toxic

entries in live agent training; No live agenttraining will be conducted at the ICI;

Specialized coursesand training forspecialists at alllevels and fromvarious areas ofexpertise (police, firebrigade, emergencymedical services, military personnel,);

Training on Crisis-management operationsfor first responders;

Training on toxic industrial material (TIM)and environmentally enhancedpreparedness.

The ICI experts will deliver specific coursesand training for specialists, such as Samplingand Identification of Biological,Chemical, Radiological Agents(SIBCRA), Automated DataProcessing (ADP), Warning and



























Reporting (W&R), Collective Protection(COLPRO), and Reconnaissance.The objective of ICI is also to uphold a highlevel of knowledge within the CBRNecommunity by participating in internationalconferences and symposia.

The ICI will also support International CBRNemaster’s degree courses, which arecoordinated and overseen by HotzoneSolutions,for high-level decision makers.Furthermore, the ICI will provide expertise torequesting governments.

New Approaches Needed for Uncovering, Identifying, andTreating Buried Chemical Warfare MaterialSource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806130857.htm

The current approach for identifying anddestroying buried chemical munitions andrelated chemical warfare materials uncoveredduring environmental remediation projects isneither reliable enough nor has the capability toefficiently tackle large-scale projects, says anew report from the National ResearchCouncil. An alternative or modified approach isneeded to remediate the Redstone Arsenal and

other such projects on active andformer U.S. Department ofDefense sites and ranges.Additionally, the reportrecommends that the Office ofthe Secretary of Defense and theArmy each select a single officeto manage and fund recoveredchemical warfare materiel(RCWM) remediation activitiesfor DOD.Currently, authority and

funding for RCWM activitiesdepend on how and where the materiel isdiscovered, and could fall under multiple officesof either the secretary of defense or the ArmySecretariat.The Army mission for RCWMremediation is turning into a much largerprogram that will rival those for conventionalmunition and hazardous substance cleanup,the report says, and is expected to cost billionsof dollars over several years.A clearorganizational structure and long-term fundingare needed.The secretary of the Army should alsoestablish a new position at the level of thesenior executive service (civilian) or a generalofficer (military) to lead the RCWMprogram.The secretary should delegate fullresponsibility and accountability for RCWMprogram performance to this person, includingfor planning, budgeting, and execution and forday-to-day oversight, guidance, management,and direction of the program.

Following a 1985 directive from Congress, theArmy has undertaken the monumental task ofdestroying the existing U.S. stockpile ofchemical weapons.To date, 90 percent of thestockpile has been destroyed, and theremaining 10 percent is expected to bedestroyed by 2022.However, during the early-to mid-20th century, chemical weapons andchemical warfare materiel were often disposedof by open pit burning and burial atapproximately 250 sites in 40 states, theDistrict of Columbia, and three territories.Remediation of this buried materiel, in additionto environmental cleanup of the burial sites,therefore poses significant challenges to thenation and DOD.The report examinesimportant regulatory issues that ultimatelyaffect the need, timing, and costs ofremediating these sites.Federal and stateenvironmental remediation policies addresswhether buried CWM must be excavated anddestroyed or contained in place.To destroy any intact chemical munitionsuncovered during remediation efforts, teamswill most likely use either the Army's ExplosiveDestruction System (EDS) or one of threecommercially available technologies.The EDSis an effective and reliable technology, and theArmy has an active research and developmentprogram under way to improve the throughputrate, or speed at which chemicals can beidentified.The three commercially availabledestruction technologies have higherthroughput rates, but reliability problems wereencountered when one of these -- theDynasafe Static Detonation Chamber -- wasrecently used to destroy a portion of stockpiledmunitions in Anniston, Ala.The reportrecommends ways to alleviate these problemsand suggests alternatives to the EDSand commercial systems.Alsoexplored is the potential use of robotic





















systems to access and remove buried CWM.The lack of an accurate inventory of buriedmunitions and of a reliable cost estimate for theRCWM program makes it difficult to establishprecise, long-term budget requirements anddraw up a funding plan for an RCWM programgoing forward that has the level of certaintytypically associated with DOD projectimplementation.The report recommends as a"matter of urgency" that the secretary ofdefense increase funding for the remediation ofchemical warfare materiel to enable the Armyto complete the inventories of known andsuspected buried chemical munitions no later

than 2013 and develop a quantitative basis foroverall funding of the program, with updates asneeded to facilitate accurate budgetforecasts.Pending establishment of a finalRCWM management structure, this task shouldbe assigned to the director of the Army'sChemical Materials Agency as chair of theprovisional RCWM integrating office.Redstone Arsenal facility in Alabama -- the sitewith the largest quantity of buried CWM in theU.S., and which has groundwatercontamination -- is presented as a case studyto show how issues raised in the report can bepractically applied.

31st MEU HazMat and WMD team practice night operationsSource:http://www.dvidshub.net/news/92838/31st-meu-hazmat-and-wmd-team-practice-night-operations#.UCKHeqAaLJa

Chemical, biological, radiological and nucleardefense Marines with the 31st MarineExpeditionary Unit, completed low-lightassessment and consequence managementteam training here, Aug. 2.Wearing Class “B” protective suits andbreathing through oxygen masks, the teamlooks as if they belong in a science-fictionmovie. But unlike the realm of science-fiction,the threats this team faces are both deadly andreal.Chemical, biological, radiological and nucleardefense Marines with the 31st MarineExpeditionary Unit, completed low-lightassessment and consequence managementteam training here, Aug. 2.“Our purpose here was to rehearse ourreconnaissance (tactics, techniques andprocedures), improve our ability to respond andfamiliarize the Marines with operating in a low-light or no-light environment,” said ChiefWarrant Officer 3 Jonathan B. Davis, officer incharge of the CBRN defense team and nativeof Cleveland, Tenn.More than a dozen Marines conductedreconnaissance and analysis on a suspicious,fenced-in warehouse and storage facility. Tocover the large storage lot and building, theMarines split into small teams.Flashlights were used for the visual search,while a variety of detection equipment wasused to notify the Marines of unseen dangers.The team’s Multi-RAE scanner detects gassesand vapors, a radioisotope device readsradiation levels, and the First Defender and

HazMat ID systems identify any detectedthreats.“We have 100 percent confidence in ourequipment and its ability to tell us what we aredealing with,” said Cpl. Ryan P. Berthiaume, aCBRN defense specialist for the 31st MEU andnative of Palmer, Mass. “The equipment allowsus to provide the incident commander accurateinformation, to decide the best course ofaction.”The Marines of the CBRN defense team arequalified technicians in the detection,identification and decontamination ofhazardous materials and chemical componentsto weapons of mass destruction.The team is capable of detecting the full rangeof traditional CBRN materials and hundreds ofthousands of dangerous industrial andcommercial chemicals. But detection andidentification are just the beginning of theCBRN defense team’s capabilities.The Marines also conduct sampling, extractionof contaminated casualties, mitigating spills ofhazardous materials, technicaldecontamination, mass decontamination, andsensitive site exploitation.“Our primary focuses are terrorist incidents,accidents involving hazardous materials andsupporting operations to prevent the spread ofWMDs,” said Staff Sgt. Bradley A. Mowree,CBRN defense chief and native of Lander,Wyoming."As part of theater securitycooperation, the team’s purpose withthe 31st MEU is to support the

















combat of WMD threats, establish initialresponse for large scale HazMat incidents, and

support allied responses to HazMat incidents.When participating in exercises with alliednations in the Asia-Pacific, the CBRN Marinesfocus on sharing knowledge with their

counterparts and increasing interoperability forresponse operations.

The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps’ force inreadiness for the Asia-Pacific region and theMarine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed expeditionary unit.

What is the optimal position of an intubator wearing CBRN-PPEwhen intubating on the floor: A manikin studySource: http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572%2811%2900043-8/abstract

Authors: Nick Castle, Yugan Pillay, Neil Spencer (South Africa)

AbstractIntroductionPrompt airway management following a CBRN incident is linked to improved patient survival.However, responding rescuers will have to wear CBRN-PPE and treat patients positioned on the floorwhich will adversely impact on intubation skill performance.

Methods48 final year paramedic students intubated manikin's positions in 4 different positions; on an ambulancetrolley (60 cm of the floor), lying prone, kneeling and sitting. Each skill was performed twice oncewearing CBRN-PPE and once in normal clothes. Intubating order was randomised.

ResultsIntubation performance when wearing standard clothing was similar in all four positions but this was notthe case when intubation was performed while wearing CBRN-PPE. CBRN-PPE had a negative impacton intubation performance regardless of the position of the intubator. Intubation on the trolleywhile wearing CBRN-PPE was completed in 100% of attempts within 60 s compared with79.2% for kneeling, 75% for sitting and 43.8% for laying. After 120 s nearly 20% of intubationattempts using the kneeling and sitting position and nearly 40% of attempts with the intubatorlying on the floor were still not completed. Intubation on an ambulance trolley, while

























wearing CBRN-PPE, was always successful compared with sitting (88.8%), kneeling (81.2%) andlaying (62.5%).

ConclusionThis manikin-based study serves to reaffirm that CBRN-PPE has an adverse impact on intubationperformance as well as identifying the negative impact of patient position on the performance ofintubation within a CBRN environment. Elevating the patient off the floor, prior to intubation, couldimprove intubation success when wearing CBRN-PPE as well as potentially improving safety of theintubator. In the immediate phase of a CBRN incident, intubation attempts should be delayed untiloptimal intubating conditions are available or at least until the patient is removed from the floor. Use ofand intermediate airway devices should be considered as a ‘stop gap’.

Do you live near a high risk chemical plant?Source 1: http://usactions.greenpeace.org/chemicals/map/Source 2: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-deans/americas-chemical-plants-are-ticking-time-bombs_b_1757110.html#slide=1350509

One in three Americans is at risk of a poison gas disaster by living near one of hundreds of chemicalfacilities that store and use highly toxic chemicals. A chemical disaster at just one of these facilities

could kill or injure thousands of people with acute poisoning. Of the 12,361 chemical facilities that reporttheir chemical disaster scenarios to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Greenpeace hasidentified 483 chemical facilities across the U.S. that each put 100,000 people or more at risk. Of those,92 put one million or more people at risk up to 25 miles downwind from a plant.The good news is that there are many cost-effective, safer chemical processes already in usethat eliminate these risks without sacrificing jobs. Since 1999, more than 500 plants haveswitched to safer alternatives. But that's not what most chemical plants have done. Even

















though chemical plant safeguards fail every week, the chemical industry has largely refused to maketheir plants safer and more secure.This problem is not new, the world was shocked in 1984 when thousands of people were killed at achemical plant disaster in Bhopal, India in 1984. Congress even amended the Clean Air Act in 1990 totry and address this problem, but the amendment has gone largely unused. It's time for the ObamaAdministration to finally create new regulations under the Clean Air Act that will require these dangerousfacilities to prevent chemical disasters by switching to safer alternatives.

Vulnerability ZonesThe red circle around each chemical plant marks the "vulnerability zone". The size of this zone variesfor each facility and ranges from less than a mile to 25 miles. Each zone was determined by the plant

owner based on the type and quantity of the toxic chemical on site, local topography and weatherpatterns. Anyone within this zone could potentially be impacted by a toxic chemical release. Impactscould range from minor injury to fatality depending on the chemical involved and the extent of exposure.The EPA requires chemical companies to determine these zones and report them once every five yearsin the facility's risk management plan.

Immediate, in-the-field identification of hazardous materialsSource: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20120809-immediate-inthefield-identification-of-hazardous-materials

Soldiers in war zones, and law enforcementand first responders on the scene will soonhave the ability to collect and immediatelyanalyze trace amounts of potentially dangerouschemical, explosive, or biological agents with

the help of a surface swabbing devicedeveloped and prototyped by aMaine-based technology companywith the help of the University of



















Maine Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC).The device, roughly the size of a penny, snapson the end of a wand to swab a potentially

contaminated surface. Residue on the swabthen can be immediately scanned andidentified using a portable instrumentdeveloped by Smiths Detection, a prominentU.S. defense contractor, according to UMainealumnus Eric Roy, project manager and seniorresearch scientist at Orono Spectral Solutions(OSS) in Bangor, where the “surface sampler”was designed.A University of Maine release reports that OSSand the AMC are working with prospectivemanufacturers to mass-produce the surfaceswabbing devices, which will then bedistributed by Smiths Detection. The swabshave been tested at Edgewood Chemical andBiological Center, a secure U.S. Department ofDefense facility in Maryland, with chemicalwarfare agents, biological warfare agents,explosives, and other threat materials.The Defense Department funded the researchand development of the new device.The OSS swabs work like a “nanosponge” thatinterfaces directly with a portable,computerized, infrared spectrometer made bySmiths Detection, Roy says. It promisesrevolutionary advancement in field-testing ofsuspect powders and liquid residues, he says,and allows almost instant identification, aprocess that now requires much largersamples, and days or weeks to identify.“It’s really the first technology of its kind thatallows field-portable infrared spectrometers toidentify unknown trace residues,” says Roy,who received his Ph.D. in oceanography fromUMaine in 2009 and has been leading thedevelopment of the swabbing material forabout a year and a half.

“When a mortar shell containing a chemicalweapon explodes in a war zone, or militarypersonnel come across a clandestine

laboratory, the nature of any additionalchemical or biological threat must beassessed immediately.”OSS, an 8-year-old University of Mainespin-off company comprising UMainefaculty and graduates, has a patentpending on the newabsorptive material.The release notes that AMC directorJohn Belding designed the plasticchassis for the material and developeda procedure to attach the material tothe button-like base. He saysdevelopment of the swabbing device

was straightforward but involved testing avariety of materials before settling on onesuitable for battlefield conditions, and whichcould be easily mass-produced. He designedthe swab with a 3D computer for conceptvisualization, made prototypes on computer-controlled machining equipment and developedbasic automation equipment to prove out full-scale production methods.“We worked with OSS to first define the designparameters of the swab, then we looked at thedifferent aspects of manufacturability,” saysBelding. “It’s important with any development tonot just make a part, but make that part so thatit can be easily produced and manufacturedin volume.”Roy expects that thousands of OSS swabs willbe ready to be distributed by Smiths Detectionfollowing the product launch this fall. He andhis team already are working on next-generation modifications of the novel swabmaterial, which will be suited for other defense,homeland security andenvironmental applications.Close proximity to the university, where OSSrents lab space at the College of EngineeringLaboratory for Surface Science andTechnology, makes it possible for OSS to workin Maine, Roy says. AMC, in conjunction withother advanced campus centers, works withhundreds of small Maine businesses, helpingthem solve problems, convert innovative newproducts into beta prototypes or modifying oldproducts for increased efficiency. Theprocess both preserves and createsjobs, Belding says.

















New detection device for forensic and security applicationsSource: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20120809-new-detection-device-for-forensic-and-security-applications

A new biological sampling and detectiondevice, created by the U.K. Ministry of Defense(MoD) scientist, could soon be used by firstresponders in the forensic and security sectorsin the United Kingdom and abroad.The device was created and developed by Dr.Peter White of the Defense Science and

Technology Laboratory (DSTL). MoD says thathe was looking for a hand-held device thatcould sample and detect a range of hazardoussubstances and explosives at the same time, toassist frontline troops and counter-

terrorism personnel.The patented technology allows for rapidsampling of up to eight targets simultaneously,testing powder, liquids, or surfaces directly andhas applications across the forensic andsecurity areas.Peter White says: “Devices that are currentlyfielded do not integrate sampling with detectionand are not easy to use if you are wearinggloves. This invention combines a matureestablished detection technology (similar tothat used in pregnancy test kits) into anintegrated hand held device that could be used

by a generalist frontline operator wearingprotective clothing.”Ploughshare Innovations Ltd, DSTL’stechnology transfer company, has licensed thetechnology to BBI Detection Ltd which isdeveloping products to supply on aglobal basis.

BBI Detection currently develops andmanufactures bespoke detection devices forthe security sector but is hoping this newdevice, which it has named IMASS, forIntegrated Multiplex Assay and Sampling

System, will be accessible to a widercustomer base. MoD notes that levels ofinterest have been high in overseasmarkets, including the United States. BBIhas made a number of improvements tothe device which has many possibleapplications, including surface testing forfood allergens or illegal drugs, or defenseuses in bio-threat andexplosives detection.

Richard Lamotte, CEO of BBI Detection says:“It’s been incredibly exciting to be part of thedevelopment and commercialization of theIMASS device. Obviously its ergonomic designfeatures make it particularly suitable forbiodetection in challenging frontlineenvironments. It also has a multitude ofapplications in the wider diagnostic arena.Discussions with potential customers, bothwithin the U.K. and further afield,have generated significant interestand anticipation for the launch of thefinal product.”























Meanwhile, DSTL has recently obtainedfunding from the Home Office to see how

IMASS could be developed for use incounterterrorism, by the emergency services.

U.K. to help IRAQ destroy legacy chemical weaponsSource: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20120809-u-k-to-help-iraq-destroy-legacy-chemical-weapons

UNSCOM verifies destroyed Iraqi CWfollowing Gulf War // Source: jmu.edu

Scientists from the U.K. Ministry of Defense(MoD) are to provide training which will supportthe Iraqi government’s efforts to dispose ofremnants of the chemical weapons amassedduring Saddam Hussein’s regime.Under an agreement signed in Baghdad,experts from the MoD’s Defense Science andTechnology Laboratory (DSTL) will providetraining to Iraqi personnel, which will help themto safely dispose of partially destroyedchemical munitions and agents, along withother contaminated materials.The materials are contained in two sealedbunkers at the old Al Muthanna ChemicalsWeapons Complex, a large site in the westerndesert some eighty km north-west of Baghdad,which was the principal manufacturing plant forboth chemical agents and munitions duringSaddam’s rule.MoD says that thousands of tons of chemicalweapons were produced, stored and deployed

by the Saddam regime. Iraq usedthese weapons during the Iran–Iraq war (1980 to 1988) andagainst the Kurds in Halabja in1988. Following the First Gulf War,most of Iraq’s chemical munitionswere destroyed under supervisionof UN inspectors (UNSCOM) andthe partially destroyed contents ofthese two sealed bunkers are allthat remain of thoselegacy weapons.The Chemical WeaponsConvention, which Iraq joined in

2009, requires that although the material isunusable and does not pose a significantsecurity risk, it must be disposed of. The natureof the material contained in the two bunkers willmake the destruction process difficult andtechnically challenging.MoD says that the United Kingdom hastherefore agreed to provide training to Iraqipersonnel at DSTL’s site in Porton Down — aworld-leading centre of excellence for chemicaldefense. The training will take place later thisyear and will teach technical personnel how tosafely handle toxic chemicals. The team atDSTL will also offer training to Iraqi medicalpersonnel on how to deal with the health risksassociated with the material.U.K. Armed Forces minister Nick Harvey said:“We were glad to support Iraq when it joinedthe Chemical Weapons Convention in 2009.One of the key obligations of member states isto destroy any chemical weapons it possesses,so the U.K. is delighted to be able to help Iraqby providing world-leading expertise and highquality training to Iraqi personnel involved inthis difficult and dangerous task.”

More info about Al Muthanna Chemical Weapons ComplexSource: https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/general-reports-1/iraq_wmd_2004/chap5_annxB.html























Syria’s Chemical Weapons: A Risk AssessmentBy Brom ShlomoSource: http://www.inss.org.il/publications.php?cat=21&incat=&read=7035

Following the assassination of key personnel inthe Syrian security establishment in asuccessful attack by the rebels, and the battlesbetween opposition forces and the Syrian armyin parts of Damascus and Aleppo – the twomajor cities whose fall would signal the fall ofAssad’s regime – assessments of theimpending collapse of the regime have becomemore prevalent. These assessments haveagain touched off a debate about Syria'schemical weapons in a scenario of adisintegrating regime.It seems that the regime recovered quicklyfrom losing many of its senior members, andmilitary forces, still cohesive and loyal to theregime, have managed to take advantage oftheir military superiority to overcome the rebelswho infiltrated Damascus, which is again underalmost complete control of the regime. Thearmy is trying to replicate its performance inAleppo, and stands good chances of doing so.Yet while chemical weapons may thus currentlyseem a less urgent topic, it remains important,as the regime seems incapable of suppressingthe rebellion despite of its obvious superiorstrength. Presumably the military capabilities ofthe opposition forces will increase, thanks toassistance from several countries, andtherefore it is quite possible that assessmentsabout the eventual demise of the regime arevalid, even if it takes significantly longer thaninitially expected.Three principal scenarios have arisen inwhich chemical weapons could be a factor,either when the Syrian regime approaches itsend or after its fall:a. The regime makes a desperate attempt to

use chemical weapons against oppositionforces, as Saddam Hussein did in theKurdish revolt.

b. The regime transfers the chemical weaponsto Hizbollah when it senses its end is near.

c. The chemical weapons stockpiles fall intothe hands of armed rebels, includingextreme groups associated with al-Qaeda.

The scenario in which a dying regime useschemical weapons against Israel seemsimplausible. It is unclear what benefit theleaders of the regime would gain; the regime isnot fundamentally ideological, driven by the

desire to see thedestruction of Israel. Itis much more interested inits own survival, both as a regime and asindividuals.In response to reports about chemical weaponsin Syria, including statements by Israel's PrimeMinister and Defense Minister on the possibilityof Israeli military intervention, the SyrianForeign Ministry announced that the Syriangovernment would not use chemical weaponsagainst its own people but only against foreignthreats. It seems that on the one hand theSyrian regime is using the West's discussion ofthe chemical weapons to clear its name as amurderous regime, and on the other hand, todeter any foreign military intervention. It alsoconstituted Syria’s first public confirmation thatit has chemical weapons.The use of chemical weapons against therebels would not be particularly effective,because the rebels operate like guerilla forcesand the fighting occurs mostly in populatedurban settings. Chemical weapons wouldcause primarily the deaths of unprotectedcivilians. Regime leaders likely understand thatin addition to this type of weapon beingineffective, its use would jeopardize their ownchances for survival.The likelihood of the chemical weapons beingtransferred to Hizbollah hands also seems low.The Syrian regime is aware of the sensitivity ofthis weapon. There is no precedent for thetransfer of chemical weapons from a state to anon-state organization, which is tantamount torelinquishing control of the weapon. It isunclear what advantage giving Hizbollah thisweapon would confer on the regime’s leaderswho are not ideologues, and even professed awillingness to make a peace with Israel. It isalso highly doubtful that Hizbollah would beinterested in having responsibility for chemicalweapons, whose usefulness against aprotected population like Israel with the abilityto respond is questionable.By contrast, the third scenario is far moreplausible, assuming that the regimedoes in fact fall. Opposition forces aredivided and not under a singlecommand. After the fall of the regime,





















a period of chaos will likely ensue and variousarmed groups will seize control of the differentmilitary facilities and weapons manufacturingplants, as was the case in Libya. They areliable to use some of these weaponsthemselves and designate some for barter, andin doing so are liable also to take charge ofvarious chemical weapons components.The degree of risk regarding the fall of thesecomponents into the hands of rebel groups isdirectly correlated with the structure of theSyrian chemical weapons arsenal, which wasbuilt primarily to afford Syria a strategicdeterrent against what the Syrians assumedwere Israel’s nuclear capabilities. The arsenalcomprises three types of materials: two ofnerve gases – Sarin and VX, and a mustard-type gas affecting skin. The launching anddelivery means are mostly airborne bombs andballistic missiles of the Scud type. The Syrians,aware of the sensitivity of using chemicalweapons and the problems of storing it, tooktwo major measures. First, there is ageographical separation between the chemicalweapons and the means of launching them,and the chemical weapons themselves arestored in facilities located far from populationcenters. Second, the weapon is mainly binary,meaning that in storage there are two types ofchemicals, each of which alone is notparticularly harmful; it is only their combinationby a mixing mechanism that renders themdeadly.As has been reported, including by Israeliintelligence sources, the Syrian army hasstepped up its surveillance and taken otherprecautionary measures in everythingconnected with the chemical weapons. Thismakes much sense, because the regime musttake into account the risk that rebels couldseize control of the chemical componentsfacilities in the course of the fighting and wantto use them against the regime. Therefore, itseems that the actual risk of the componentsfalling into the hands of rebel groups is notgreat. For any particular group to be able touse this weapon, it would have to seize controlof all the system components, dispersed invarious locations, and also seize control of thecomplex launching system requiringoperational and logistical capabilities, such assurface-to-surface missiles and airplanes. If thechemical weapon components becomecommodities on the black market, there is along term danger that single-minded terrorist

groups like al-Qaeda would try to acquire allthe components and create self-manufacturingcapabilities.The analysis of the threats leads to severalconclusions:a. Despite the low probability of the first two

scenarios – use of chemical weaponsagainst Israel and transfer of the weaponsto Hizbollah – Israel must send messagesof deterrence, both to the Syrian regimeand to Hizbollah, about the intolerable costthey would incur for taking such measures.If endowed with sufficient information, Israelmight consider pinpoint attacks on suchweapons transferred to Hizbollah. In thiscase, it is preferable that the attack becarried out on Syrian territory to reduce theprobability of setting off a broaderconfrontation with Hizbollah.

b. There is no good reason to attack thechemical components storage facilitiesbefore the regime collapses. Syria haslarge stockpiles of chemicals, and it isdoubtful that all the bunkers where thechemicals are kept and certainly thelaunching mechanisms could be attackedand destroyed. Partial success is liable togenerate the opposite result, as the regimecould conclude it is preferable to use theweaponry left at its disposal before all of itis destroyed and certainly if the attackcauses environmental damage.

c. The United States and its allies mustprepare for the possibility that it will becomenecessary to seize control of at least themain chemical weapons storage facilitiesonce the regime collapses. Contrary tomedia assessments, it seems that thenumber of main facilities is small andmostly located in distant, isolated areas.Thus, securing them would not be aparticularly complex operation if the Syrianarmy collapses. Syrian military personnelmight even cooperate with these forces inorder to safeguard the weapons.

d. Assuming that the leaders of the Syrianregime retain a modicum of responsibility,parties with which it still communicates,such as Russia, China, and the ArabLeague, should be tapped to transmitmessages to President Assad about theexpectations of the internationalcommunity regardingsafeguarding the chemicalweapons.



















e. It is advisable that the nations of the Westestablish mechanisms for use on the blackweapons market in order to seize control of

any chemical weapon components fallinginto the hands of irregular fighting forces.

US sets up teams with Israel, Jordan, Turkey against chemicalattackSource:http://www.debka.com/article/22266/US-sets-up-teams-with-Israel-Jordan-Turkey-against-chemical-attack-

The United States last week began laying plans for the contingency of Syrian chemical warfare bysetting up joint military, intelligence and medical working teams with Israel, Turkey and Jordan, all ofwhich are feared under threat by Syrian president Bashar Assad, debkafile’s military sources report.

The White House, the CIA and the Pentagon’s DIA are laying odds on a Syrian unconventional attack.All three countries under potential threat have put their medical services on the ready.Because Jordan lacks the appropriate medical facilities, the United States and France have freightedover to the kingdom special forces trained in chemical warfare, military hospitals and hundreds of tonsof medical equipment. Washington is taking into account that American military and strategic interests inall three countries may also be in danger.In Istanbul, Saturday, Aug. 11, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton quite frankly discussed a chemicalwar scenario. Referring to working groups, she said: …we need to get into the real details of suchoperational planning and it needs to be across both our governments (US and Turkey). Our intelligenceservices and our military have very important responsibilities and roles to play, so we are going to besetting up a working group to do exactly that. We have planned for many contingencies, including thevery horrible scenario of the use of chemical weapons.”

Destroying Chemical Warfare Agents: New Substances 15,000Times More EffectiveSource: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/248810.php

In an advance that could be used in masks toprotect against nerve gas, scientists arereporting development of proteins that are upto 15,000 times more effective than their

natural counterpart in destroying chemicalwarfare agents. Their report appears in ACS'journal Biochemistry.























Frank Raushel, David Barondeau andcolleagues explain that a soil bacterium makesa protein called phosphotriesterase (PTE),which is an enzyme that detoxifies somepesticides and chemical warfare agents likesarin and tabun. PTE thus has potential uses inprotecting soldiers and others. Natural PTE,however, works against only one of the twomolecular forms of these chemical warfareagents, and it happens to be the less toxicform. The scientists thus set out to developnew versions of PTE that were more effectiveagainst the most toxic form.To improve the enzyme's activity, Raushel andcolleagues used an approach called "directedevolution." This technique imitates the waynatural selection leads to improved forms of thebiochemical substances in living things. Inusing directed evolution, the team made smallrandom changes to the natural enzyme'schemical architecture and then tested resultingmutant enzymes for their ability to break downnerve agents. They isolated several mutantsthat fit the bill, including one that proved to be15,000 times more effective than the naturalenzyme.

Military's dumped mustard gas closes Gulf of Mexico's HornIslandSource: http://www.examiner.com/article/military-s-dumped-mustard-gas-closes-gulf-of-mexico-s-horn-island

The Gulf Islands National Seashore will hold apress conference today in Ocean Springs to

further alert the public to hazardous materialsthought to be mustard gas chemical weaponfound on Horn Island, a long, thin barrier islandoff the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, south of

Ocean Springs and part of the Gulf IslandsNational Seashore.

Gulf Islands NationalSeashore SuperintendentDan Brown will discusstoday at a press conferencethe partial closure of HornIsland to the public duewhat appears to be mustardgas found there, accordingto the National ParkService."A preliminary test alsoindicated the possiblepresence of a chemicalagent known commonly asmustard gas," Brown said."Additionally, based on an

initial records search that was done,we have reason to believe that somecontainers of mustard gas may havebeen deposited in the island's Big





















Lagoon.We are therefore closing the portion ofthe lagoon that we own and we are notifyingthe owners of those nearby privately-owned

tracts of the potential hazard."When exposed to sea water, mustard forms a

thick outer "crust" over a core of mustard thatbrings the mustard to the surface where it caninjure unsuspecting fishermen and swimmers.Park rangers have placed area closure signsaround the perimeter of site, approximately1,000 feet in all directions.

Military legacy of dumping chemicals ofmass destruction into the oceansFor decades, the US military secretly dumpedmillions of pounds of decaying chemicalweapons and nuclear waste into the oceansuntil the early 70's."The Army now admits that it secretly dumped64 million pounds of nerve and mustard agentsinto the sea, along with 400,000 chemical-filledbombs, land mines and rockets and more than500 tons of radioactive waste - either tossedoverboard or packed into the holds of scuttledvessels," the Daily Press reported after its 2005investigation."We don't want to be cavalier at all and say thisstuff was exposed to water and is OK," saidWilliam Brankowitz, a deputy project managerin the Army Chemical Materials Agency and aleading authority on the Army's chemical

weapons dumping during the Daily Pressinvestigation."It can last for a very, very long time,"

Brankowitz said."We do not claim to know where they all are,"Many canisters were leaking when dumpedand most are likely leaking now, after manydecades in seawater."A drop of nerve agent can kill within a minute.When released in the ocean, it lasts up to sixweeks, killing every organism it touches beforebreaking down into its nonlethal chemicalcomponents," Daily Press reported. "Mustardgas can be fatal."In June, British Petroleum asked the NationalPark Service for a list of potential chemical andbiological hazards on Horn Island beforedeploying cleanup crews teams there as part ofthe Deepwater Horizon response GulfOperation.There are 32 disposal sites off United Statesshores, most with poorly known contents.In a report, A plea for complete information,Peter Brewer believes it's time for the U.S.government to communicate openly aboutthese toxic sites.“It’s just one of those things where society hashad a blind spot,” Brewer says. “Problemsthat aren’t talked about never getbetter.”



















Sources: Mississippi Press; National Park Service; Daily Press; Bill Phillips; Ocean Dumping ofChemical Weapons, Noblis, Congressional Research Service report: U.S. Disposal of ChemicalWeapons in the Ocean: Background and Issues for Congress; Dangerous unknowns—MBARIresearcher points out lack of information on chemical weapons dumps in the sea; Brewer, P. and N.Nakayama. What lies beneath: A plea for complete information. Environmental Science and Technology2008, March 1, 2008, pages 1394-1399.

Detector Uses Sound Waves to Identify Chemical AgentAttacksSource: http://globalbiodefense.com/2012/08/20/detector-uses-sound-waves-to-identify-chemical-agent-attacks/?goback=.gde_160062_member_149493712

U.S. Army researchers have developed achemical sensor that is designed to detect lowlevels of dangerous toxins in the air by theirsound.The new system updates technology based onphotoacoustic effect, in which the absorption oflight by materials generates characteristicacoustic waves. By using a laser and verysensitive microphones — in a technique called

laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) —very low concentrations of gases can bedetected.Traditional LPAS systems have a majordrawback in that they can identify only onechemical at a time, prompting the researchersto pursue a method that would allowsimultaneous detection of multiple agents. “As Istarted looking into the chemical/biologicaldetection problem, it became apparent thatmultiple LPAS absorption measurements —representing an ‘absorption spectrum’ — might

provide the added information required in anydetection and identification scheme,” saidKristan Gurton, an experimental physicist at theU.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).To create such a multi-wavelength LPASsystem, the ARL team designed a specializedphotoacoustic cell that allows different gases toflow through while modulated laser beamspropagate through the cell. Each laser is each

modulated at a different frequency in theacoustic range.As gas vapors flow into the cell, a portion of thelaser power is absorbed, resulting in localizedheating of the gas. “Since gas dissipatesthermal energy fairly quickly, the modulatedlaser results in a rapid heat/cooling cycle thatproduces a faint acoustic wave,” explainsGurton. Each laser in the system willproduce a single tone, picked up bysmall microphones in the cell.“Different agents will affect the



















relative ‘loudness’ of each tone,” says Gurton,“so for one gas, some tones will be louder thanothers, and it is these differences that allow forspecies identification.”The signals produced by each laser areseparated using multiple “lock-in” amplifierseach tuned for a specific laser frequency. Bycomparing the results to a database ofabsorption information for a range of chemicalspecies, the system can identify each of thechemicals present.The method allows for instant identification ofagents, as long as the signal-to-noise ratio,which depends on both laser power and theconcentration of the compound beingmeasured, is sufficiently high, and the materialin question is in the database.

Before such a sensor could be used in thefield, Gurton says, a quantum cascade (QC)laser array with at least six “well-chosen” mid-infrared laser wavelengths would need to beavailable. With such a set-up, the method“could be tailored for a variety of detectionscenarios ranging from the obvious need toprotect our soldiers during conflict to civilianapplications like detecting the presence ofharmful chemical gases that are difficult todetect with conventional techniques.”A paper by the researchers entitled “Selectivereal-time detection of gaseous nerve agentsimulants using multi-wavelengthphotoacoustics,” has been published in theOptical Society’s journal, Optics Letters.

A Brief History of Acid-Filled EggsSource: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/08/acid-filled-eggs-convention-anarchist-rnc-dnc.html

About three days ago (Aug 19), it seemed likethis year's drama-deprived GOP conventionwould be — to paraphraseLarry David — prettaaayyy,prettaayyyy,prettaaayyy boring. Nowthere's a potentialhurricane barreling downon Tampa, and oh, what'sthis? An FBI bulletinwarning of anarchistprotesters armed with acid-filled eggs?Federal authorities areurging law enforcementagencies across thecountry to watch out forsigns that extremists mightbe planning to wreak havocat the upcoming politicalconventions — by blockingroads, shutting down transitsystems and evenemploying what weredescribed as acid-filledeggs.The concept of acid-filled eggs may be new toyou, but it seems to be a time-honored traditionwithin certain left-wing protest movements. Asthe New Yorker reported, they turned up duringthe 1999 WTO riots in Seattle:The black-bloc crews, whose graffiti andoccasional "communiques" run to nihilist

slogans ("Civilization Is Collapsing-Let's Give Ita Push!"), were masked, well organized, young

and fleet of foot, andarmed with crowbarsand acid-filled eggs.In 1998, Britishauthorities becameconcerned that animal-rights activists with theAnimal Liberation Fronthad armed themselveswith acid-filled eggs:Scotland Yard ispreparing to deal with aterrifying device knownto be in the hands ofextreme animal rightsprotesters — the acid-filled egg. Police fearleading politicians couldbe blinded, maimed orscarred for life if struckby one of the eggs.Protection officers nowcarry emergency

antidote kits.In fact, the use of the acid-filled egg goes backmore than a century. According to an April 22,1905, story in the New York Times:Although the teamsters' strike is notmarked by quite so much violence asit was a few days ago, none ofMontgomery Ward Co.'s goods can





















be moved without the assistance of a largebody of police, and even then there aredemonstrations with bricks and acid-filled eggshells.By this point, you're saying "Okay, we get it,explain how they make the acid eggs already."Fine, but only because it's pretty obvious:According to the Telegraph, the AFL would usea needle to inject a special formula of sulfuricacid — not strong enough to "eat through the

shell but still be strong enough to damagehuman tissue" — into the egg, then cover theegg with wax to seal up the hole.Whether the acid-filled eggs actuallymaterialize at the conventions remains to beseen. Anarchists, kind of by definition, aren'talways the most organized bunch. Still, if you'relooking for us down there, we'll be the guywearing Amar'e-style goggles the entire time.

Toronto CBRNE NewlsetterContact the Editor: [email protected]

















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1 CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter – June 2012 · 2012-08-28 · 6 CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter – June 2012 wolf” phenomenon, but also manifesting itself in street disturbances and