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Weapons of Terrorism: Small Arms, Explosives & Incendiaries

Weapons of Terrorism: Small Arms, Explosives & Incendiaries. Chapter 9. Introduction. Small arms, explosives & incendiaries are the weapons used in most terrorist acts They cause injuries due to the inappropriate release of energy from a small arm, explosion of a bomb or incendiary device:

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Weapons of Terrorism: Small Arms, Explosives & Incendiaries

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  1. Weapons of Terrorism: Small Arms, Explosives & Incendiaries Chapter 9

  2. Introduction • Small arms, explosives & incendiaries are the weapons used in most terrorist acts • They cause injuries due to the inappropriate release of energy from a small arm, explosion of a bomb or incendiary device: • Mechanical or kinetic energy (missiles, bullets, shrapnel, debris..) • Thermal energy (napalm, Molotov cocktail..) • Electrical energy (stun gun..) • Radiation energy (“dirty bombs”..) • Absence of essentials like O2; or CO poisoning

  3. Small Arms • Lightweight, person-portable weapons • Estimates to cause 500,0000 deaths per year; more are injured and traumatized • Fatality of these weapons vary • Percentage of deaths by small arms in terrorist acts is small worldwide. • However, small arms support terrorist activities such as kidnapping, roberies.. • The principal tool of terrorists • E.g. Columbia, highest homicide rates in the world • 1997-2001: 119/400 recorded terrorist incidents used small arms + 40 abductions/kidnappings • Examples

  4. Small Arms • Types of arms: • Revolvers, rifles,light machine-guns, assault rifles (AK-47)

  5. Small Arms • Resulting trauma: • High-velocity bullets that create cavities in tissues • Bullets that break into pieces when impact tissue • Bullets that deliver maximum energy to tissues

  6. Small Arms • Suppliers of small arms: • Russia, China, Belgium, Germany, Israel, United States, France • Illegal small arms begin as legal small arms. • Why and how do small arms end up being misused or diverted to illegal operations?

  7. Small Arms • Countermeasures: • International agreements • UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime • UN Commission on Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice, 1997 • UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms in All Its Aspects, 2001 • Regional agreements: • West African States • European Union • American States

  8. Small Arms • Measures to decrease use of small arms in conflict, crime, injury or terrorism are being promoted: • Strengthening import & export license authorizations • Developing a legally binding agreement on the marking & tracing of weapons • Adequate recordkeeping on arms production, possession & transfer • International development of standards & measures to strengthen controls on the legal transfer of weapons to state & non-state actors.

  9. Small Arms • Strong domestic regulation of civilian possession & use is critical, despite continued opposition by the US. • What are some measures that allow legitimate use by civilians but reduce the risk that weapons will be misused or diverted from legal to illegal markets??

  10. Explosives & Incendiaries • WTC attack: most fatalities of any single documented terrorist event • WTC: first time an airplane was used as missile, explosive & incendiary. • 1980-1990: 12,216 bombings in the US • 1991-1994: 8,567 bombings + 2,000 attempts

  11. Explosives & Incendiaries • Many more injuries than deaths result from a bombing incident. Examples. • Bombs cause injuries, deaths and psychological terror (PTSD) • Different types of explosives may result in different types of injuries • Types of injuries caused by explosions: • Primary: due to blast pressure wave (4,500 ft/s) • Secondary: due to propelled bomb fragments and debris • Tertiary: due to blast wind (up to 940 mph) • Miscellaneous: falls, building material falling, burns from fires

  12. Explosives & Incendiaries • Countermeasures: • Understanding PTSD • Epidemiological surveillance of victims for proper care and rehabilitation • Detection methods • Tag and track explosives • “target-hardening”, which includes increased public awareness • Use of “taggants” • Protective armor on legs, bottoms of cars

  13. Weapons of Terrorism: Nuclear and Radiological Weapons Chapter 12

  14. Types • Nuclear weapons • Plutonium-239 • Uranium-235, enriched • Radiological weapons “dirty-bombs” • Dispersion of radioactive material with a conventional device • Targets as weapons • Nuclear power facilities • Vulnerable? • Spent fuel pools • Stored highly radioactive fuel in dry casks • Nuclear transportation

  15. Proliferation of nuclear weapons • From civilian nuclear power programs • From military stockpiles • International control

  16. Responding to attacks by nuclear weapons • Keeping populations indoors prior to evacuations • Restricting consumption of local milk and food supplies • Providing potassium iodide prophylaxis • Worker protection, medical treatment, environmental sampling & illness tracking

  17. Preventing the threat of nuclear terrorism • Safeguard already existing nuclear material in the world • Utilize & strengthen existing treaties to curb proliferation & encourage disarmament • Reduce & ultimately eliminate materials & weapons

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