Terrorism

One of the greatest dangers facing the world today comes from religiously inspired terrorist groups—often state sponsored—that are seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction for use against civilian targets. These loosely knit groups are especially difficult to combat because they often employ suicidal terrorists who are not subject to the usual deterrent threats—of death or other severe punishment. Terrorists also lack a “return address,” a known location where they can be attacked without civilian casualties. The grave dangers posed by this kind of “poor man's warfare” are different from any previously faced.