OPPapers.com

Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism

The world has entered a new venue of warfare that will shape the future as we know it. The old formalities of war have been forced to change their tactics as the war on terror continues, on both international and domestic fronts. Bioterrorism has emerged as one of the catch phrases of the new millennium. This new era of terrorism has caused disastrous long-term consequences besides the ever-growing number of civilian casualties that is affecting the conscience of the people who are directly and indirectly faced by it. Bioterrorism has the ability of multithreading to every corner of society regardless of social or economic class and it is affecting everyone that it comes to path with while reaching the demands of terrorists. The technical definition of terrorism according to The U.S. State Department defines terrorism as "Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." As with any form of terrorism, the main goal is to create fear and manipulate individuals, entire societies or governments into adapting to their religious, political, or ideological demands. The goal of terrorism is not to destroy, but rather to inspire a spreading panic that later leads to compliance from nations, governments or religious groups. Terrorists have three main characteristics that make their attacks successful, the first being motivation. This is an important structure within terrorist cells because without it, there would be no purpose or reason behind their acts. The second key component is organizational structure within the groups, these internal control mechanisms that allow them to prevent invasion by government agents or defection by other group members. The third key component is technical capability. It is considered absolutely essential that terrorist regimes possess the technical capability and know-how to acquire,...

Please login to view the full essay...