{
  "id": "RL32391",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32391",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 100350,
      "date": "2004-06-23",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T20:13:33.351290",
      "title": "Small-scale Terrorist Attacks Using Chemical and Biological Agents: An Assessment Framework and Preliminary Comparisons",
      "summary": "This report, which will be updated as necessary, presents a means of assessing the relative threat\nfrom terrorist-use of individual chemical, biological, and toxin agents. It focuses on small-scale,\ntargeted chemical and biological attacks, rather than mass-casualty attacks. The framework\nconsiders the elements of access, public health impact, medical treatment, prophylaxis, and\ndissemination. Other factors that may affect potential use by terrorists include the range of lethality,\ncovert employment of an agent, and the availability of dual-use technologies.\n  The results of this framework may be useful in addressing the threat these agents pose, for\nexample by indicating priorities for countermeasure funding. Other uses include weighing the\npotential effectiveness of policy options, assessing threat reduction approaches to specific agents,\nand serving as a resource for developing other specialized frameworks.\n  Defense against chemical and biological agents is high on the list of the nation's priorities. No\nclear consensus exists with respect to which agents pose the greatest threat. Previous analyses of the\nchemical and biological threat have largely revolved around historical and comparative treatments\nor been based in a military framework. Examination of the chemical and biological threat to\ncivilians is more complicated. Agents whose characteristics make them poor military weapons may\nstill be powerful if deployed as weapons of terror. Chemical and biological weapons used in the past\nhave not always been chosen for the highest potential fatalities, but rather for other reasons.\n  Some chemical and biological agents are closely regulated, both domestically and\ninternationally. Expansion or further refinement of policies controlling these agents may lower the\nthreat posed by terrorist use of them. Domestic policy options to reduce the threat posed by these\nagents include methods to prevent their use, consequence management after their use, and methods\nfor protecting the public from them. Specific policies to implement these goals include improving\nthe general public health system, increasing prophylaxis research, development of new medical\ncountermeasures treatments, increasing intelligence gathering, and increasing regulation of dual-use\ntechnology. International policy options include development of new biosecurity agreements and\nincreasing participation in current non-proliferation organizations.\n  It is impossible to eliminate the risk of chemical or biological terrorism. Important issues\nfacing policymakers include balancing the need for increased security with the potential economic\ncosts associated with increased regulation and redirected federal resources, determining the relative\nratio between general and specific countermeasures against chemical and biological terrorism, and\nassessing the success of federal efforts at reducing chemical and biological terrorism vulnerability.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6102/",
      "id": "RL32391 2004-05-20",
      "date": "2004-05-20",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T18:15:42",
      "title": "Small-scale Terrorist Attacks Using Chemical and Biological Agents: An Assessment Framework and Preliminary Comparisons",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Weapons systems",
          "name": "Weapons systems"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Terrorism",
          "name": "Terrorism"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Biological weapons",
          "name": "Biological weapons"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Chemical weapons",
          "name": "Chemical weapons"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Criminal justice",
          "name": "Criminal justice"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "National Defense",
    "Science and Technology Policy"
  ]
}