AST 'CHAMPIONS' Edition December 2017 Digital-Dec | Page 68

Volume 18
• A bomb; grenade; rocket having an explo-
sive or incendiary charge of more than four
ounces; missile having an explosive or in-
cendiary charge of more than one-quarter
ounce; mine; or device similar to any of the
previously described devices;
• Any weapons that is designed or intend to
cause death or serious bodily injury through
the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic
or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors;
• Any weapon involving a disease organism;
and
• Any weapon that is designed to release ra-
diation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to
human life.
Nature of the Threat
According to national policy, WMD refers to ma-
terials, weapons, or devices that are intended to
cause (or are capable of causing) death or seri-
ous bodily injury to a significant number of people
through release, dissemination, or impact of toxic
or poisonous chemicals or precursors, a disease
organism, or radiation or radioactivity, including
(but not limited to) biological devices, chemical
devices, improvised nuclear devices, radiological
dispersion devices, and radiological exposure
devices.
WMD terrorism and proliferation are evolving
U.S. national security threats.
The Director of National Intelligence has stated
that dozens of identified domestic and interna-
tional terrorists and terrorist groups have ex-
pressed their intent to obtain and use WMD—in-
cluding nuclear materials.
Indicators of this increasing threat include the
9/11 attacks, the Amerithrax letters, and multiple
attempts by terrorists at home and abroad to use
improvised explosives created from basic chemi-
cal precursors.
December 2017 Edition
(Learn More. The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amer-
ithrax from its Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case
name, occurred within the United States over the course of
several weeks beginning on September 18, 2001, one week
after the September 11 attacks. Letters containing anthrax
spores were mailed to several news media offices and two
Democratic U.S. Senators, killing five people and infecting
17 others. According to the FBI, the ensuing investigation be-
came “one of the largest and most complex in the history of
law enforcement. Courtesy of The Learning Channel, DocX
and YouTube. Posted on Apr 11, 2017)
The challenge presented by these threats is
compounded by the large volume of hoax threats
that distract and divert law enforcement agen-
cies from addressing real threats.
Inside FBI Operations
The WMD Directorate exists to ensure the FBI
and partners are prepared to anticipate, mitigate,
disrupt, or respond to WMD threats.
With the continued evolution of the WMD threat
and the possibility of an overseas origin or nex-
us, the Directorate advances WMD prevention
activities by supporting international WMD ca-
pacity building, developing plans and policies
at strategic and operational levels, developing
partnerships, training, and conducting outreach
endeavors.