Year: Present-2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999-

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Books

War of Nerves A detailed history for the general reader of the discovery, development, proliferation, and control of nerve agents such as Tabun, Sarin, Soman, and VX, the most lethal class of chemical weapons. By Jonathan B. Tucker. Created: February 6, 2006

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General

• The Body's Own Bioweapons
  An article by Jonathan B. Tucker for The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
  Created: March 27, 2008

• SPECIAL REPORT ON RICIN [PDF]
  In light of the discovery today (February 29, 2008) of vials of ricin in Las Vegas, Nevada, CNS has compiled a special information page with details about ricin and previous incidents involving the toxin.
  A CNS Research Story special report.
  Created: February 29, 2008

• The Next Generation of Sensor Technology for the BioWatch Program
  An issue brief by Benjamin H. Brodsky for the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
  Created: January 14, 2008

• Industrial Chemicals as Weapons: Chlorine
  An issue brief by Benjamin H. Brodsky for the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
  Created: August 3, 2007

• Special Report: Manual for Producing Chemical Weapon to Be Used in New York Subway Plot Available on Al-Qaeda Websites Since Late 2005
  an article by Sammy Salama for WMD Insights.
  Created: July 21, 2006

• The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology
  An article by Jonathan B. Tucker and Raymond A. Zilinskas for The New Atlantis.
  Created: May 16, 2006

• The real chemical threat
  An op-ed by Paul F. Walker and Jonathan B. Tucker for the Los Angeles Times.
  Created: April 7, 2006

• CBW Breakfast Seminar Series
  In December 2005, the CNS launched a new series of seminars devoted to chemical and biological weapons (CBW) issues. The seminars, co-chaired by Michael Moodie and CNS Senior Fellow Jonathan Tucker, are designed for the Washington policy community, including U.S. government officials, congressional staffers, non-governmental analysts, and foreign diplomats.
  Created: March 31, 2006

• Art or Bioterrorism? The Implications of the Kurtz Case
  In the war against terrorism, neither art, science, nor democracy should be an unintended casualty.
  CNS Research Story by Margaret E. Kosal.
  Created: July 27

• "Prospects for International Cooperation on Biological Security"
  Remarks by Dr. William C. Potter at PIR Center Conference, Moscow, April 2004.
  Created: July 19, 2004

• Osmium Tetroxide - a New Chemical Terrorism Weapon?
  Serving legitimate functions in biological research and in specialized chemical industry, osmium tetroxide's suitability as a terrorist agent - a dual use compound - is limited, despite the characterizations of it generating "chemical fallout."
  CNS Research Story by Michelle Baker and Dr. Margaret E. Kosal.
  Created: April 13, 2004

• Biosecurity: Limiting Terrorist Access to Deadly Pathogens
  This report explores current national and international efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring dangerous pathogens and argues for the establishment of a set of global biosecurity standards.
  A report by Dr. Jonathan B. Tucker for the United States Institute of Peace.
  Created: December 2, 2003

• The Basics of Chemical and Biological Weapons Detectors
  An overview of the technologies underlying detectors and the type of sensing systems currently employed or under near-term consideration for detecting chemical and biological warfare or terrorist weapons.
  Research Story of the Week by Dr. Margaret E. Kosal.
  Created: November 24, 2003

• 2002 WMD Terrorism Chronology: Incidents Involving Sub-National Actors and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Materials (PDF format)
  By Wayne Turnbull and Praveen Abhayaratne.
  This chronology covers incidents worldwide involving criminal or ideological motivations, including hoaxes and pranks.
  Created: August 15, 2003

• Ricin Found in London: An al-Qa`ida Connection?
  In January, British authorities arrested seven men suspected of producing ricin in their north London apartment. At least one had attended an al-Qa`ida training camp in Afghanistan.
  Created: January 23, 2002

• Limiting the Contribution of the Scientific Literature to the BW Threat
  Research in the biosciences has caused concern because of dramatic advances in this field and their potential application to biological warfare and terrorism.
  Research Story of the Week by Raymond A. Zilinskas and Jonathan B. Tucker.
  Created: December 16, 2002

• Biosecurity Measures for Preventing Bioterrorism
  This essay and the companion research collection provide an introduction to biosecurity measures, a key element among policy efforts to address the threat of bioterrorism.
  Research Story of the Week by Michael Barletta.
  Created: November 25, 2002

• Renewed Efforts to Strengthen the BTWC
  The challenge facing the States Parties at the Conference will be to find agreement on this delicately balanced draft decision against the backdrop of a possible total failure of the BTWC review process.
  Research Story of the Week by Jean du Preez and Daniil Korbyakov.
  Created: November 11, 2002

• 2001 WMD Terrorism Chronology
  By Adam Dolnik and Jason Pate.
  This chronology covers incidents worldwide involving criminal or ideological motivations, including hoaxes and pranks.
  Created: September 18, 2002

• The Conduct of Challenge Inspections Under the Chemical Weapons Convention (PDF format)
  Proceedings of an Expert Workshop Held on May 29-31, 2002, in Washington D.C.
  by Jonathan B. Tucker
  Created: August 29, 2002

• "Keeping Track of Anthrax: The Case for a Biosecurity Convention,"
  An article by Michael Barletta, Amy Sands, and Jonathan B. Tucker, for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
  Created: June 5, 2002

• From Haber to Heisenberg and Beyond: The Role of Scientists in the Acquisition of WMD
  Washington D.C. Office 2002 Briefing Series, March 26, 2002.
  Created April 2, 2002

• Deconstructing the Chem-Bio Threat
  Testimony by Amy Sands for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  Created: April 1, 2002

• The Fifth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC)
  Because the conference took place four months after a negotiating forum of member-states known as the "Ad Hoc Group" had failed to agree on a legally binding Protocol for checking compliance with the BWC, a key objective of the Review Conference was to identify alternative strategies for strengthening the Convention. An issue brief by Jonathan Tucker for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
  Created: February 2002

Americas

• Chronology of Incidents Involving Ricin
  The use of ricin, a deadly toxin derived from the castor bean, marks the second case in three years where someone has sent mail containing a toxic substance to the offices of the country's most senior lawmakers.
  Created: February 3, 2004

• Bioterrorism Threat Assessment and Risk Management Workshop (PDF format)
  Final Report and Commentary presented to the U.S. Department of Energy on June 24, 2003 by Raymond A. Zilinskas (Rapporteur).
  Created: August 15, 2003

• Smallpox: Threat, Vaccine, and U.S. Policy
  On December 13, 2002 President Bush announced a multi-phase plan for the vaccination of certain subsets of the U.S. population against smallpox.
  Research Story of the Week by Richard Pilch.
  Updated: March 10, 2003
  Created: January 6, 2003

• Legislative Response to Potential Bioterrorist Threat
  On June 12, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the "Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002." The new law seeks to significantly increase America's ability to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to bioterrorism in an efficient and coordinated manner.
  Research Story of the Week by Kristin Thompson.
  Created: July 12, 2002

• Anthrax Hoaxes in the United States
  More than 750 "hoax" letters claiming to contain anthrax were sent worldwide in October and November.
  Research Story of the Week by Laura Snyder.
  Created: May 20, 2002

Middle East/Africa

• Special Report: Manual for Producing Chemical Weapon to Be Used in New York Subway Plot Available on Al-Qaeda Websites Since Late 2005
  an article by Sammy Salama for WMD Insights.
  Created: July 21, 2006

• The real chemical threat
  An op-ed by Paul F. Walker and Jonathan B. Tucker for the Los Angeles Times.
  Created: April 7, 2006

• Chart: Al-Qa`ida's WMD Activities
  The following table provides a comprehensive listing of reports concerning al-Qa`ida's involvement with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons in the period between 1997 and 2005.
  Updated: April 22, 2005
  Created: December 22, 2002

• Iran Special Collection
  Contains information on nuclear- and treaty-related issues.
  Updated: September 27, 2003
  Created: July 31, 2003

• Libya and Nonproliferation
  On 19 December, Libya announced that it would halt its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs and eliminate any stockpiles of weapons or materials under full verification by the international community. Before examining Libya's intentions and analyzing its potential implications, it is essential to review Libya's capabilities in the WMD realm.
  CNS Research Story by Anjali Bhattacharjee and Sammy Salama.
  Week of December 24, 2003

• IRAQ Special Collection
  Focuses on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and UNSCOM.
  Updated: April 9, 2003

• Command and Control of Iraq's CW Arsenal
  By Ibrahim al-Marashi
  Created: March 26, 2003

• Ricin Found in London: An al-Qa`ida Connection?
  In January, British authorities arrested seven men suspected of producing ricin in their north London apartment. At least one had attended an al-Qa`ida training camp in Afghanistan.
  Created: January 23, 2002

• Al-Qa`ida and Weapons of Mass Destruction
  The world's media have reported no less than 56 separate incidents involving al-Qa`ida and WMD, 36 of which have come to light since September 2001.
  Created: December 31, 2002

• Dusty Agents and the Iraqi Chemical Weapons Arsenal
  The New York Times recently reported that, according to an Iraqi defector, Iraq has devised and produced a solid VX formulation that could be described as a "dusty" agent. The properties of this agent include the ability to adhere and penetrate gaps in chemical-protective garments.
  An issue brief by Eric Croddy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
  Created: October 2002

• Invade and Unleash?
  "Saddam Hussein might see his biological weapons as an asset to be used only if he is on the brink of destruction."
  An op-ed by William C. Potter for the Washington Post.
  Created: September 23, 2002

• Vaccinate Saddam Against Invasion?
  An Op-Ed for the International Herald Tribune by Leonard S. Spector.
  Created: June 10, 2002

• Debunk the myth of Al Qaeda
  An op-ed by Kimberly A. McCloud and Adam Dolnik for The Christian Science Monitor.
  Created: May 23, 2002

NIS/Europe

• The real chemical threat
  An op-ed by Paul F. Walker and Jonathan B. Tucker for the Los Angeles Times.
  Created: April 7, 2006

• The Soviet Anti-Plague System
  A report by Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley, Alexander Melikishvili, and Raymond A. Zilinskas on the history of the AP system, covering the period from the late 19th century to 1992, including its accomplishments, organization, work programs, and responsibilities.
  Created: April 11, 2004

• The EU Moves Closer to Establishing a European CDC
  Should everything go according to plans, the European Union (EU) will have its European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) becoming operational by 2005.
  CNS Research Story by Alessandro Andreoni.
  Created: January 8, 2004

• The Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis: Incapacitants and Chemical Warfare
  Following the resolution of the hostage crisis, much has also been made of the Moscow theater incident with respect to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and even the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
  Research Story of the Week by CBWNP.
  Created: November 4, 2002

• The 1971 Smallpox Epidemic in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, and the Soviet Biological Warfare Program
  Occasional Paper No. 9, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, June 2002
  by Jonathan B. Tucker and Ray Zilinskas.
  Updated: October 4, 2002
  Created: June 17, 2002

• Public Health Experts Comment on Analysis of the 1971 Smallpox Outbreak in the Soviet Union
  CNS invited several leading microbiologists and public health experts to comment on the analysis of an official Soviet report describing a previously unknown outbreak of smallpox in 1971 in the city of Aralsk, Kazakhstan.
  Research Story of the Week by Jonathan B. Tucker and Raymond A. Zilinskas.
  Updated: August 26, 2002
  Created: July 30, 2002

• Conflicting Evidence Revives "Yellow Rain" Controversy
  Two conflicting pieces of evidence--a declassified CIA report and a yellow-green shower in India--may revive the 20-year-old debate over Yellow Rain, which remains a lingering mystery of the Cold War.
  Research Story of the Week by Jonathan B. Tucker.
  Created: August 5, 2002

• CNS Releases Secret Soviet Smallpox Report
  CNS released the first authoritative English translation of an official Soviet report describing a previously unknown outbreak of smallpox in 1971 in the city of Aralsk, Kazakhstan, then located on the northern shore of the Aral Sea.
  Research Story of the Week by Jonathan B. Tucker.
  Created: June 17, 2002

• Biological Decontamination of Vozrozhdenie Island: The U.S.-Uzbek Agreement
  Washington D.C. Office 2002 Briefing Series, January 18, 2002
  Created: March 19, 2002

East Asia

• Beijing on Biohazards: Chinese Experts on Bioweapons Nonproliferation Issues
  These essays are seeds for a dialogue between Chinese and Western policymakers about the nature of the biological weapons threat and the tools to reduce the threat of proliferation.
  CNS Research Story by Amy E. Smithson.
  Updated: September 19, 2007

• North Korea Special Collection
  North Korea Special Collection contains a new section on the nuclear crisis, material on the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs, a chronology of DPRK nuclear developments (1947-1999), articles on the Agreed Framework, and a list of CNS experts on these issues.
  Updated: October 10, 2006

• Vinalon, the DPRK, and Chemical Weapons Precursors
  An integral segment of the DPRK chemical industry is the production of vinalon, or "juche fiber." Of special significance is the fact that a number of North Korean defectors have linked Dr. Lee Sung Ki—-the co-inventor of vinalon and father of polymer fiber production in the DPRK-—with the DPRK chemical and nuclear weapons programs.
  An issue brief by Eric Croddy for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
  Created: February 26, 2003

• Chinese Export Controls and Jiang Zemin's Visit to the United States
  Contains text of export control regulations covering missile and CBW technology, analyses by CNS experts, and Chinese statements on export controls. Includes Chinese translated selections.
  Updated: November 21, 2002