Al-qaida's Quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction: the History Behind the Hype

Ever since the late 1990s, it has been claimed that the threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism from al-Qaida is real and growing. Yet, few academic studies have been focused towards analyzing al-Qaida¿s actual interest in developing a CBRN capability. This book seeks to investigate al-Qaida¿s interest in CBRN weapons, as reflected by statements and activities on various levels within the network between 1996- 2007. The study considers a variety of primary sources, ranging from the writings of well-known strategists to chemical formulations posed on al-Qaida-affiliated web pages. The study concludes that al-Qaida¿s interest in using non- conventional means to achieve their goals appears lower than commonly anticipated. The book then goes on to discuss why there is an apparent lack of CBRN-related innovation within the network, drawing from previous studies on CBRN terrorism and innovation in militant organizations. This book is aimed at anyone with an interest in the topics of CBRN terrorism or militant islamism, and might be of particular interest to professionals within the counter-terrorism community.