Terrorism is an international threat that has proved to be very detrimental for the past few decades. At the advent of technological advancements, terrorists are moving a notch with regards to the establishment of lethal weapons of mass destruction. The US and its allies are thus at a higher chance of being attacked by the terror gangs. The US security department gave out a report in the year 2009 addressing the terrorism threat as a perspective involving biological, radiological, nuclear, and chemical weapons. It noted that al-Qaeda and many other extremist have often expressed greater interest regarding the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

The notable diffusion of technical and scientific information concerning a collective initiative for Combating Nuclear has enhanced the risks of a terrorist organization being in possession of fissile materials for developing its crude nuclear weapons. The overall manufacture of the nuclear weapons is primarily determined by the terrorist’s access to exceptional nuclear equipment and the scientific and engineering expertise. The entire world is hence challenged by such proliferations of lethal weapons especially by some of the careless nations such as North Korea. They enhance the possibility of establishing the probable sources of unsecured nuclear materials or weapons. The extremists also tend to set focus on international criminal groups and subversive smuggling networks.

In line with the nuclear weapons, there is a higher threat posed by detonation of the radiological bomb. There is a greater prevalence of various radioactive resources in most countries. It has hence proved to be a greater ease with regards to acquisition of such the materials. Most of these radioactive substances tend to lack enough strength for presenting a noteworthy public health risk at the advent of its dispatch. The associated hazards posed by the radioactive materials require the terrorists to enhance their expertise for handling them without any exposure to the debilitating detection or radiation during transit. However, the detonation of such radiological weapon causes extreme panic and coherent financial disruption.

The study of weapons of mass destruction that are currently adopted by the terrorists also encompasses the potential utilization of bioterrorism strikes. This is due to the extensive availability of various materials that are required for production of the biological weapons. They are often available in various laboratories across the entire globe, and can act as threat agents that can be detrimental to the natural existence by all means. Amongst many other terror groups, Al-Qaeda is deemed as a group that has pressed harder to produce or obtain biological weapons. This was ascertained by the United States discovery of Afghanistan’s unfinished laboratory.

If the biological weapons are properly manufactured and released, they can be in a position of enhancing massive deaths. Moreover, if the terrorists go to the extent of using pathogen that may be transmitted from one individual to the other, then the disease can be spread quickly via the air travels, oceans and the continents before any clue by the authorities.

Finally, the US Security Department noted the efforts employed by the extremists towards enhancing the acquisition and deployment of readily obtainable toxic chemicals. In this case, the sophistication and growth of the global chemical industry, composed of the development of the dual-use and complex synthetic materials, might threaten the efforts of prevention and protection of the chemical weapons.

The entire threats posed by the possibility of terror attacks using the weapons of mass destruction has led the US to implement multiple initiatives including the Global Initiative of Combating the Nuclear Terrorism. This is a joint initiative led by the United States and Russia and Russia under operating under the nuclear security principles.