About CBRN

Worldwide governments and publics are viewing with growing concern the potential threat posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear (CBRN) weapons in the hands of terrorists. A wide range of potentially deadly chemical and biological (CB) agents may be relatively easy to produce or otherwise acquire.  

It is not a secret; terrorist attacks are increasingly being seen throughout the world, whether in England, USA, Spain, Japan or the Middle-East.  

A recent Canadian Intelligence Services publication analysing the current CBRN threat found the following conclusions:   

• although it is impossible to estimate the precise timing of a chemical agent terrorist attack, the technical obstacles to such an attack are by no means impossible to overcome;  
• the threat appears to be growing;  
• despite increased attention to the threat since the Tokyo subway attack, society remains highly vulnerable to such attacks;  
• it is not necessary to use commonly referenced agents such as Mustard Gas or Sarin, as attacks on local industrial chemical stockpiles can themselves be used as weapons;  
• even hoaxes - which are increasing in number and becoming progressively more credible - can cause enormous disruption to society, in some cases perhaps achieving the ends of the terrorist even without an actual attack.