Richard A. Falkenrath is Executive Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (BCSIA)
at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Newman, Robert D. :
Robert D. Newman is an arms control specialist in Washington, DC.
Thayer, Bradley A. : Dartmouth College
Bradley A. Thayer is Visiting Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College. From 1995 to 1997, Newman and Thayer
were Research Fellows at BCSIA.
Review
"I know of no more incisive, detailed assessment of the growing threat of mass destruction terrorism than
America's Achilles' Heel. This outstanding book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in American
national security."
-- U.S. Senator Richard Lugar
The MIT Press Web Site, April, 2000
Summary
Nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons delivered covertly by terrorists or hostile governments pose
a significant and growing threat to the United States and other countries. Although the threat of NBC attack is
widely recognized as a central national security issue, most analysts have assumed that the primary danger is military
use by states in war, with traditional military means of delivery. The threat of covert attack has been imprudently
neglected.
Covert attack is hard to deter or prevent, and NBC weapons suitable for covert attack are available to a growing
range of states and groups hostile to the United States. At the same time, constraints on their use appear to be
eroding. This volume analyzes the nature and limits of the covert NBC threat and proposes a measured set of policy
responses, focused on improving intelligence and consequence-management capabilities to reduce U.S. vulnerability.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
1 The Covert NBC Threat in Historical Perspective
2 NBC Acquisition and Covert Delivery: Technical Possibilities and Technical Constraints
3 The Threat of Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical Attack by Non-State Actors
4 The Threat of Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical Attack by States
5 Recommendations: An Agenda for the American Government
6 Conclusion
