Publication

This paper explores the widespread assumption that an acquisition of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by al-Qaeda would be rapidly followed by their use. It seeks to illuminate the conditions and calculations that could shape al-Qaeda's posture regarding employment of WMDs, as well as to highlight possible contributions to the overall US war on terror. The author concludes that while it is unlikely to happen, the US would be ill-advised to reject out of hand the possibility that terrorists might view nuclear weapons as too valuable to detonate.