Why has Aum Shrinyiko used WMD and Al Qaeda has not?
Aum Shrinyiko was able to use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) because of a number of factors. The most notable include: lax enforcement, the ability to test them and remaining under the radar. Lax enforcement is when the police failed to investigate and arrest members of the group who were involved in these activities. Instead, they assumed that they were harmless and posed no real threat to the public. (Danzig, 2012)
The ability to these weapons came from a persistence to continue with their research. This is in spite of the dangers from working with dangerous chemical / agents and possible setbacks. The sense of determination, hierarchal controls and remote locations enabled them to work undisturbed. This helped them to have a practicing ground for the attack and determine the most appropriate methods of delivery. (Danzig, 2012)
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The capacity to work undetected were a part of the group not doing anything to draw the attention of law enforcement or the intelligence community. In the months and years before the attack, most people assumed that Aum Shrinyiko was a cult. They never thought that the group was capable of conducting an attack on the Tokyo subway system using a WMD. (Acerman, 2009) (Danzig, 2012)
These factors gave Aum Shrinyiko the ability to gather the necessary materials, develop and test their weapon. This is something Al Qaeda has never done, with the group focusing on conducting high profile attacks. After September 11th, is when the group became the number one target of Western governments. They had to respond, because of the tremendous amounts of damage and the fear that another attack could be coming. This is when Al Qaeda lost their ability to work with impunity inside Afghanistan. The result is that their research, development, knowledge and testing were all disrupted. This makes it challenging to use these kinds of weapons. Over the course of time, this has weakened Al Qaeda and their ability to conduct high profile attacks around the world. (Acerman, 2009)
- Acerman, G. (2012). Jihadist and Weapons of Mass Destruction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
- Danzig, R. (2012). Aum Shrinyiko. New York, NY: Centers for New American Security.
