Terrifying Landscapes: A Study of Scientific Research Into Understanding Motivations of Non-State Actors to Acquire and/or Use Weapons of Mass Destruction
Abstract
Concerns about non-state actor acquisition and use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against noncombatants have existed since the turn of the century, if not before. However, the level of concern has risen significantly since 9/11 for a number of reasons that include: the perception that a threshold was crossed on 9/11, concerns about more widespread availability of technology, greater attention given to the potential threat in the media, the growing and persistent military presence of the US in global affairs, increasing exploitation of the internet by non-state actors to create networks and disseminate information, and an increased awareness of vulnerability among the Western public. However, it is not clear that this heightened concern has been matched by scholarly research to better understand and characterize the real nature of the threat, the casual factors that are necessary to explain it, and the dynamic relationship between the evolution of threat and responses to it.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 22, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA470462
Entities
People
- Nancy K. Hayden
Organizations
- Sandia National Laboratories