Indeed, past may be prologue. In 1995, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo used sarin gas in its attack on the Tokyo subway. Those behind the I993 World Trade Center bombing were also gathering the ingredients for a chemical weapon that could have killed thousands. In recent years, dozens of threats to use chemical or biological weapons in the United States have turned out to be hoaxes. Someday, one will be real.
Preparation is itself a deterrent.
By minimizing the death and destruction would- be terrorists hope to spawn, we reduce the likelihood they will even try. Yet a chemical or biological strike on American soil could quickly surpass any community s ability to cope. As part of an effort launched in 1998 by President Clinton and led by the National Security Council, the Defense Department is one of many federal agencies doing its part to prepare the nation for the catastrophic consequences of an attack that unleashes these horrific weapons. Because it has long prepared to face this grim possibility on the battlefield, the military has unique capabilities to offer in the domestic arena as well. Several core principles are guiding our efforts.