The EU and its Member States must prepare for the possibility of a chemical or biological attack on their territory by the self-styled 'Islamic State' in Iraq and the Levant. Since the beginning of October 2015, terrorist attacks in Ankara, the Sinai Peninsula, Beirut, Paris and Tunis, for which ISIL/Da'esh has claimed responsibility, have cost the lives of 500 people. Immediately following the latest attack in Paris, the jihadist terrorist group threatened further attacks in European cities.
ISIL has vowed that future strikes will be more lethal andeven more shocking. This has prompted experts to warn that the group may beplanning to try to use internationally banned weapons of mass destruction infuture attacks. At present, European citizens are not seriously contemplatingthe possibility that extremist groups might use chemical, biological,radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials during attacks in Europe. Under thesecircumstances, the impact of such an attack, should it occur, would be evenmore destabilising.
European governments and EU institutions need to be onalert, and should consider publicly addressing the possibility of a terroristattack using chemical, biological, radiological or even nuclear materials. TheEU institutions have devoted considerable efforts to preventing a CBRN attackon European soil and preparing worst-case scenarios. However, some gaps remain,in particular with regard to information-sharing among Member States.
Further informationEPRS Briefing: ISIL/Da'esh and 'non-conventional' weapons of terrorSource :
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