Terrorist Chemical And Biological Attacks

What is a chemical attack and how much should I worry about one?

When you've got chemicals being introduced into the system, meaning the population, to bring about total devastation. I'm not trying to be smug about it except chemical, like biological, it's difficult to do. It's not that it's not effective, it could be very effective, but it's difficult to do. And it's going to be something that's long-acting. Unless you've got nerve agents or things like that, if you don't infect yourself and die, it's going to be something that once it's carried out, it's going to be probably recognized right away and we can respond to it. Deadly, for lack of a scientific term, stuff, but we don't see much of it around the world because I think it's challenging in terms of being able to implement it.

Why don't we see more chemical attacks by terrorists?

Aum Shinrikyo in 1995 when they did the train attack in Tokyo, they wanted to go chemical but they couldn't do it. In fact they killed one of their own members trying to devise a chemical bomb and that's why they had to go with something else because it just didn't work. So you've had groups that have tried chemical, it's extremely difficult to do. However that's why those groups recruit scientists, they recruit biologists, they recruit people who understand it so they can see how they can do it. For example, Aum Shinrikyo also tried to export ebola from West Africa under the guise of a University research project because they want and try to weaponize it and they couldn't do it. So there have been attempts to go both chemical and biological and it's extremely risky. It's more risky than an IED.

What can I do in the case of a chemical attack?

I know that we've seen advertisements and information in the way of trying to protect your house with duct tape and plastic. But to be honest with you, unless you're going to receive the appropriate medicine in the way of an injection, there's not much you can do. It's going to be a public information release. It's going to tell people what we've got, where to go, what to receive in the way of medication and we would move forward from there. I don't know that you could do anything. I'm not a doctor, I really don't know that you could do anything personally to prevent or reduce the risk of that happening.

What will the government do in the case of a chemical or biological attack?

Chemical and biological attacks are going to be... We've got a huge apparatus in place with Homeland Security, CDC, first responders, medical and health departments at the state, local, federal level. Get it going to work in concert to identify what the agent is, how far the spread is, and then how to mitigate it. It's going to be a public information campaign to get people to understand what it is, where to go, get them to the appropriate medical facilities so we can get them the medicine they need, and respond in that way. Hopefully, we will never see something like that. It could be totally devastating.