Biological attacks and the non-state actor: a threat assessment
Biological attacks and the non-state actor: a threat assessment
In a climate of political concern about the deliberate dissemination of pathogenic micro-organisms, this article assesses the nature and scope of the threat to national security posed by actors other than states. Key factors include the motivations and disincentives for carrying out a biological attack and the technical challenges likely to be encountered by a non-state organization that decides to use disease as its weapon of choice. The assessment concludes that non-state organizations do not at present pose a great threat, that biological attacks should generally not be regarded as a ‘WMD’ issue, but also that the conduct of individual scientists engaged in pathogen research warrants careful monitoring.
911-930
Enemark, Christian
004b6521-f1bb-426a-a37b-686c6a8061f6
22 December 2006
Enemark, Christian
004b6521-f1bb-426a-a37b-686c6a8061f6
Enemark, Christian
(2006)
Biological attacks and the non-state actor: a threat assessment.
Intelligence and National Security, 21 (6), .
(doi:10.1080/02684520601046226).
Abstract
In a climate of political concern about the deliberate dissemination of pathogenic micro-organisms, this article assesses the nature and scope of the threat to national security posed by actors other than states. Key factors include the motivations and disincentives for carrying out a biological attack and the technical challenges likely to be encountered by a non-state organization that decides to use disease as its weapon of choice. The assessment concludes that non-state organizations do not at present pose a great threat, that biological attacks should generally not be regarded as a ‘WMD’ issue, but also that the conduct of individual scientists engaged in pathogen research warrants careful monitoring.
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Published date: 22 December 2006
Organisations:
Politics & International Relations
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 400223
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/400223
ISSN: 0268-4527
PURE UUID: 6cdc7291-e9e5-4aec-80f6-2cb2bd0ee7f7
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Date deposited: 23 Sep 2016 15:10
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:57
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