Assignment

The British secret service agency MI5 has determined that al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups may be devising a method of implanting IED(s) within the body of a suicide bomber, such as breast implants in female suicide bombers. This is in contrast to the previous method of relying on a person wearing a suicide vest. What moral and ethical considerations must be given to the use of a human as a WMD against other innocent people?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

An international terrorist organization has established operations in the country of Mexico and has purchased a well-known pressure tank manufacturing firm located in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The purpose of the purchase is to enable the organization to unleash a massive WMD encased within a sealed container, which are typically shipped with sealed covers to protect the interior against exposure to the elements. The trucks will simultaneously deliver these WMD to major petro-chemical plants throughout the United States. Since this company typically delivers containers to the United States with no previous issues, security measures at the border are minimal. When all deliveries are in place, the massive containers containing the megatons of explosives will be detonated, effectively destroying the chemical plants and unleashing deadly chemicals into the prevailing winds as well as killing all life within the local vicinity.

What impact would these simultaneous attacks have on the national economy and the local communities throughout the United States? Moving past the deaths and illnesses created from the destruction, what probable impact would such destruction have on the environment? Why would this blast prove to be worse than the Oklahoma Federal Building attack in 1995?

Terrorist organizations rely heavily on high explosives as a method of attack. What is a BBIED, and what is the delivery method for this form of attack? How can we mitigate such attacks and develop strategies to prevent such attacks?