Defining Knowledge Gaps Within CBRN Terrorism Research

The past decade has borne witness to a significant rise in the profile of a security issue that lies at the confluence of the perennial global security threats of terrorism and the proliferation of unconventional weapons systems (here defined as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons). It is not only the general public and government officials who have been captivated by the specter of CBRN terrorism; the topic has elicited keen interest from the scholarly community, several members of which have attempted to describe and evaluate the apparent threat. In contrast to the alarmist scenarios of “weapons of mass destruction (WMD) terrorism” often conjured up by a sensationalist news media, the majority of scholarship has focused on a sober analysis of both the motivations and capabilities required for non-state actors to succeed in launching CBRN attacks.