A

Al-Aqsa Intifadah

A violent uprising by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Al-Aqsa Intifadah began on September 29, 2000, with a visit by one-time Israeli Defense Minister (and now Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a holy site for both Muslims and Jews.

Al-Qa'ida

An Islamic terrorist organization led by Usama bin Laden. Al-Qa'ida means "the base" in Arabic and acts as an umbrella organization for a number of terrorist groups around the world. Al-Qa'ida is held to be responsible for a number of attacks against Americans, including the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

anarchism

An ideology adopted by various revolutionary groups operating in Europe and North America from the latter half of the nineteenth century until the first two decades of the twentieth century. It promoted the overthrow of tyranny. Anarchists primarily targeted heads of state and senior government officials for assassination.

anthrax

An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Weaponized anthrax spores are dispersed by aerosol and are highly lethal to humans. Anthrax has been produced as a biological weapons agent, and is suspected as a potential agent for use by biological terrorists.

Australia Group

An informal arrangement established in 1985 to limit the spread of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) through the control of exports of chemical precursors, equipment, agents, and organisms. As of May 2001, there were 32 members in the Australia Group: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Republic of Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

B

Bacillus anthracis (see anthrax)

ballistic missile

A missile that travels to its target unpowered and unguided after being launched at a velocity such that it will follow a flight trajectory to a desired point. Part of the flight of longer-range ballistic missiles may occur outside the atmosphere and involve the "reentry" of the missile.

biological weapon (BW)

A device that projects, disperses, or disseminates living microorganisms, biological agents, or toxins.

bioterrorism

A shortened form of the term biological terrorism.

C

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The lead federal agency responsible for protecting the health and safety of American citizens at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. The CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.

chemical weapon (CW)

Gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical substances with toxic properties that are delivered using munitions and dispersal devices to cause death or severe harm to humans, animals, and plants. CW include blister, nerve, choking, and blood agents.

Christian Identity (CI)

A racist, anti-semitic religion that teaches that white non-Jews are God's chosen race and that Jews are the offspring of Satan. It has inspired numerous extremist groups within the United States and influenced their violent acts and propaganda.

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

The agency tasked with coordinating the United State's intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating, and disseminating intelligence that affects national security. Created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Truman, the CIA is an independent agency responsible to the president through the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI).

conventional weapons

Weapons and military equipment, including aircraft, tanks, and artillery, that use non-nuclear explosives or kinetic energy to damage targets.

CTR (Cooperative Threat Reduction) Program

A U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) program established in 1992 by the U.S. Congress, sponsored primarily by Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar. The program remains the largest and most diverse U.S. program addressing former Soviet weapons of mass destruction threats. The program has focused primarily on (1) destroying vehicles for delivering nuclear weapons, their launchers (such as silos and submarines), and their related facilities; (2) securing former Soviet nuclear weapons and their components; and (3) destroying Russian chemical weapons. The term is sometimes used generically to refer to all U.S. nonproliferation programs in the former Soviet Union, including those implemented by the U.S. Departments of Energy, Commerce, and State.

CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention)

Formally known as the "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction," this treaty requires each state party to destroy all the chemical weapons (CW) and CW production facilities it possesses or that are located in any place under its jurisdiction or control, as well any CW it abandoned on the territory of another state. The CWC was opened for signature on January 13, 1993, and entered into force on April 29, 1997. As of August 2001, there were 143 parties to the CWC; in addition, 23 states have signed but not ratified the CWC.

D

decolonization

The process of granting independence to a territory that previously has been governed as a colony.

E

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

The EPA is a federal body whose mission is "to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment-air, water, and land-upon which life depends." The EPA provides leadership in the nation's environmental science research, education, and assessment efforts and can provide assistance in the event of a CBW terrorism incident.

F

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice. The mission of the FBI is to uphold the law through the investigation of violations of federal criminal law; to protect the United States from foreign intelligence and terrorist activities; to provide leadership and law enforcement assistance to federal, state, local, and international agencies; and to perform these responsibilities in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and is faithful to the Constitution of the United States.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The federal agency in charge of helping people before and after a disaster. It is an executive branch agency that can be called upon to help when the president declares a disaster. The governor of the state must request assistance from the president before FEMA can respond. Disasters are "declared" after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, or other similar events strike a community.

first responders

Emergency personnel who are the first to arrive at the scene of an incident, including firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). In most cases, they will be the local authorities in the affected area.

L

Leftist

Policies that tend towards the pursuit of more rapid, drastic, or radical change than desired by the majority of members or the leaders of an organization or nation. The term Leftist has become closely associated with the ideologies of Marxism and socialism.

M

Marxism

A doctrine originally based on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This ideology is a complex concept that deals most directly with economic modes of production but has been extended to almost every political and social domain. Marxism describes existing institutions of private ownership and capitalism as exploiting the working classes and predicts the decline of capitalism and the emergence of communal ownership and some form of worker control. Marxism formed the basis for Communism in the 20th century.

N

nationalist-separatist

People who act to achieve sovereignty for part of an existing state by creating a separate state for the group they identify as their nation. Nationalist-separatists believe that groups of people possess characteristics, such as a common language and culture, that distinguish them from other groups and make them a distinct nation. They assert that each nation deserves to control its own destiny and territory, sometimes, arguing for the use of armed conflict to achieve this aim.

neo-Fascists

A term used to refer to post-World War II adherents to fascist ideology. The fascist ideology is characterized by authoritarian rule and extreme nationalism. Fascists usually hold a belief that the nation has declined from a mythic past as a result of impurities introduced by an enemy (often referring to another racial group) that must be defeated. Fascism came to prominence in various European countries between the two world wars and its manifestation in Germany and Italy was largely responsible for the Second World War. Neo-fascists who subscribe to the particular doctrine of National Socialism are known as Neo-Nazis. (see Neo-Nazis)

neo-Nazis

Label given to various right-wing groups that, since 1945, have espoused the ideology of National Socialism (Nazism) as practiced by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich in Germany from 1933 to 1945. This ideology is based on an extreme form of nationalism, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy and tends to advocate totalitarianism and violence.

Northern Ireland "troubles"

Refers to the period of violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland between Irish Catholic Republicans and the Protestant Loyalists and the British military. The "Troubles" began with the Civil Rights marches in the late 1960s and lasted until the political resolution set out in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. During that time, more than 3,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed.

O

organophosphate insecticides

Insecticides that contain phosphorus compounds. These substances are structurally similar to nerve agents used as chemical weapons such as sarin, and affect the body's nervous system.

P

pathogen

An agent that causes disease, such as a bacterium or virus.

persistent

In the context of chemical agents, the ability to remain in liquid form without evaporating for some length of time at normal temperatures and pressures.

potassium cyanide

A metallic salt that, under certain circumstances, releases cyanide. Cyanide is a term used to describe a variety of compounds containing the -CN molecule that are extremely toxic to mammals. Cyanide works by shutting down metabolic processes, and exposure to small amounts can quickly lead to death.

R

ricin

A poisonous protein extracted from the castor bean. Ricin is a powerful toxin that can be lethal in extremely small quantities and in the past has been developed by countries for use as a biological weapon.

S

sarin

A nerve agent used in chemical weapons. Code named GB in the West (NATO), sarin is a highly toxic organophosphate compound, similar to an insecticide, first developed by German scientists in the 1930s. Like other agents in this category, it binds with the body's enzymes and causes chemical imbalances within the body's nervous system. Most binary chemical munitions have been built to deliver sarin on the battlefield.

Salmonella typhimurium

A bacterium that causes diarrhea and related gastrointestinal symptoms. The organism is a relatively common cause of food-borne illness and is rarely fatal.

subnational group

A distinct group of people acting independently of the nation as a whole and operating without state supervision. The term often refers to groups acting against the government of the state, such as guerillas or terrorists.

supportive treatment

Medical treatment that concentrates on alleviating the symptoms of a disease rather than its cause.

survivalist

People who anticipate and prepare for the end of the world or some other calamitous event arising as a result of a religious or secular catastrophe. They are often associated with millenarian or Christian Identity philosophies. Survivalists tend to live in remote areas isolated from others and are noted for possessing large stockpiles of food and weapons.

T

toxin

A poison formed as a specific secretion product in the metabolism of a vegetable or animal organism, as distinguished from inorganic poisons. Such poisons can also be manufactured by synthetic processes.

triage

A process for sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment.

U

United Nations General Assembly

The full body of the United Nations that includes all member states. It is responsible for much of the work of the United Nations, controlling finance, passing resolutions and electing non-permanent members of the Security Council. (see United Nations Security Council)

United Nations Security Council

Under the United Nations Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The Council consists of fifteen members, five of which are permanent-China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States. The other ten members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The five permanent members have veto power.

V

volatile

In the context of chemical agents, readily vaporizable at normal temperatures and pressures.

W

weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

Nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.

Sources:

[as for WMD411 chronology PLUS:]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

BBC website

CDC website

CIA website

EPA website

FBI website

FEMA website

Fox, James R. Dictionary of International and Comparative Law, Oceana Publications, Inc. 1992.

Hoffmann, Bruce. Inside Terrorism, Columbia University Press, New York, 1998.

McLean, Iain, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.

Statement of Louis J. Freeh, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, before the Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on Counterterrorism, United States Senate. Washington, D.C. May 13, 1997, .