Al-Qaida's Quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction

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.