Weapons of mass destruction Flashcards
What is a weapon of mass destruction (WMD)?
Any agent designed to bring about mass death, casualties, and/or massive damage to property and infrastructure.
Includes bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports.
What mnemonic can help remember the different kinds of weapons of mass destruction?
B-NICE: biologic, nuclear, incendiary, chemical, and explosive weapons.
Alternatively, CBRNE: chemical, biologic, radiologic, nuclear, and explosive weapons.
What is the preferred WMD for terrorists?
Explosive devices.
What tactics have terrorist groups favored?
Truck bombs or car or pedestrian suicide bombers.
Have previous attempts to use chemical or biologic weapons by terrorists been successful?
No, many previous attempts have been unsuccessful.
Why is it important for EMTs to understand the destructive potential of WMDs?
To ensure preparedness and response to incidents involving these weapons.
How have the motives and tactics of new-age terrorist groups begun to change?
Many participate in indiscriminate killing, making WMDs highly desirable.
What is the doctrine of total carnage?
A doctrine that promotes indiscriminate killing, increasing the desirability of WMDs.
Why are WMDs considered relatively easy to obtain or create?
They are geared toward killing a lot of people and can be produced with sufficient funding.
What impact did the proper techniques have during the 1995 Aum Shinrikyo attack?
There might have been tens of thousands of casualties.
What has changed since the fall of the Soviet Union regarding WMDs?
The technology and expertise to produce WMDs may be available to terrorist groups.
Where can technical recipes for making B-NICE weapons be found?
On the Internet and even published on terrorist group websites.
