Reducing the Probability of an Al-Qaeda Attack of Mass Effect

The greatest threat facing the Unites States today is what the president described as the union of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and radicalism.1 Although the potential use of a WMD by a terrorist group is a terrifying prospect we must understand that the true threat demands a broader definition. Limiting the threat to WMD confuses the means with the effect. It is not the weapon in itself that we should fear but the effects of their use. As we found out on 11 September two jet liners could be utilized as missiles to deliver the most devastating attack on American soil in over 50 years. We could postulate many scenarios, such as a conventional attack on a chemical plant or train carrying toxic chemicals, where an attack causes devastating consequences without using WMD. Thus the threat is not limited to weapons of mass destruction, and for the remainder of this essay I will define the threat as an attack of mass effect (AOME). An AOME would include any attack, utilizing any means, which produces significant and persisting negative effects for the nation as a whole. As such, I would consider the events of 11 September to be included in the category of an AOME, but only barely so. The real threat is the possibility of a spectacular attack that causes catastrophic damage.