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The FBI WMD Chemical Countermeasures The FBI WMD Chemical Countermeasures Corporate Outreach ProgramCorporate Outreach Program

SSA Richard SSA Richard BaltzersenBaltzersen, WMDD, WMDDChemical Countermeasures TeamChemical Countermeasures Team

Agenda

Chemical ThreatWMD Directorate Chemical

Counterterrorism Program Mitigating the Threat

WMD Coordinator RoleWMD Countermeasures

WMD Incident Threat Spectrum

Chemical Weapons are deemed less of a threat thanToxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs)

NuclearWeapons

Radio-isotopes

BiologicalToxins

Chemicals Weapons

High

Low

Industrial Chemicals

Biological Pathogens

Explosives

Chemical Threats

Chemical Warfare Agents– Nerve Agents– Blister Agents– Blood Agents– Choking Agents

Toxic Industrial ChemicalsPrecursor Chemicals for ExplosivesResources – where do you find info about making WMDs and Improvised Explosives?

Resources

Reference material

Patent/ Scientific literature

Subject matter experts

Underground literature

Internet

Academic Students

Chemical Industry Outreach Initiative

Liaison outreach to corporations at HQ/corporate level

*Outreach…not necessarily cases

TRIPWIRES-reporting of suspicious customers/purchase inquiries

WMDCs invited to take lead on setup of meetings (working w/ established liaison contacts in division)WMDCs invited to take lead on outreach discussion at meetings (FBIHQ, Field Office, Corporate reps at all meetings) Communicate Guardian leads and tips back to Chem Team for tracking FYI

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ONE POINT OF CONTACT

Corporate Headquarters

Security

Loss Prevention

Precursor Chemicals

Wide availability for commercial purchase.– i.e. hydrogen peroxide, acetone, strong acids,

cyanides, acids, oxidizers etc.Legitimate use of products in various industries make them difficult to regulate– Ex. hydrogen peroxide used widely in

numerous industries (hair care, cleaning, health)

Chemicals as ExplosivesHousehold, industrial, and agricultural chemicals have been used in conventional explosive attacksOklahoma City bombingWTC 1993 bombingJoel Henry Hinrichs III

Chemicals– Fertilizers

Ammonium nitrate, urea– Oxidizers

Hydrogen peroxide (in TATP)– Solvents

Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone– Acids

Sulfuric, Nitric– Fuels

Diesel, nitromethane

TATP Starting MaterialsTATP Starting Materials

AcetoneAcetone –– Common SolventCommon Solvent

Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) –– Common StrongCommon StrongAcidAcid

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) –– Various Various sourcessources

AcetoneAcetone

Sulfuric AcidSulfuric Acid

PEROXIDE AVAILABILITYDrug stores - 3 to 6% solutions

Beauticians supply stores – up to 18%

Internet - 30 to 35% solutions (food grade peroxide)

Pool Chemicals - 27.5 %

Health Trend

HMTD PrecursorsCITRIC ACIDCITRIC ACIDHEXAMINEHEXAMINE

…and Hydrogen Peroxide

Other Household ChemicalsInstant Cold Packs (ammonium nitrate)Airbags (sodium azide)Salt peter (KNO3, used as stump Zremover)Aluminum Powder and other metalsVaselineIcing SugarCharcoal

Just Pyrotechnics?

Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs)- Chemicals found in manufacturing facilities,

maintenance areas, and storage areas that have an LCt50 value of less than 100,000 mg-min/m3 in any mammalian species and are produced in quantities

greater than 30 tons/year.

Class 2 – Gases Class 3 – LiquidsClass 4 – Flammable SolidsClass 5 – Oxidizers/Organic PeroxidesClass 6 – PoisonsClass 8 – CorrosivesClass 9 - Miscellaneous

Chlorine Attacks in Iraq

Numerous attacks utilizing explosives and chlorine containers (2006 – 2007)

• 150-pound and one-ton chlorine containers available in Iraq

• No 90-ton chlorine railcars in Iraq

2007 VBIED attack prevented in Iraq (one-ton chlorine containers, nitric acid, and other chemicals)

One-ton chlorine container

Chlorine Attacks in Iraq

Chlorine in the U.S.

11 million tons produced in U.S. (2008)2nd most abundantly rail transported TIHNearly 34,000 rail shipments in U.S. (2007)More toxic than most abundantly shipped TIH (anhydrous ammonia)

90-Ton Chlorine Railcar

TSA-Led Chlorine Rail Tanker Vulnerability Study

Multiagency group including FBI, DHS S&T, DHS TSL, DOD NSWC, DOT FRA, contractors, and industry experts.Two-part study:– 1st part involves threat characterization and

determination of resulting hole size– 2nd involves development of accurate release

models using respective hole sizes.

1 = PIERCED CONTAINER, E.G. PAINT CAN 2 = BOTTLES OF ACID 3 = CYANIDE SALTS 4 = POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE

CRYSTALS5 = DETONATOR (OPTIONAL)

UNCLASSIFIED// FOUO

Improvised Chemical Device

KCN (s) + HCl (aq) HCN (g) + KCl (s)

(Hydrogen Cyanide Gas produced)

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

Mobtakar_FBI_31sec.mpg

Improvised Chemical Device

Chemical Agent vs. Drug Lab

Sulfur Mustard

Methamphetamine

UNCLASSIFIED//For Official Use Only

“If people of authority engaged in jihad determine that the evil of the infidels can be repelled only by their means, they [WMD] may be used. The weapons of mass destruction will kill any of the infidels on whom they fall, regardless of whether they are fighters, women, or children. They will destroy and burn their land. The arguments for the permissibility of this are many.”

“The arguments of scholars also prove the permissibility of so-called biological weapons. Some of them explicitly permit bombarding the infidels with snakes and scorpions and poisoning their water.”

- WMD Fatwa from a Saudi Cleric in May 2003

International TerroristInterest

UNCLASSIFIED//For Official Use Only

“. . . experts in the fields of chemistry, physics, administration, electronics and media and all the specifications, especially the atomists and explosives engineering experts, . . . we are in dire need of you. The field of jihad can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases in Iraq are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty . . .”

-Abu Hamza al-Muhajer’s, al-Qa’ida in Iraq

in September 2006

International TerroristInterest

UNCLASSIFIED//For Official Use Only

“The Americans are afraid that the WMDs might fall into the hands of ‘terrorist’ organizations, like Al-Qai’da and

others. There is good reason for the Americans’fears…They [AQ] have scientists, chemists, and nuclear physicists. They are nothing like they are portrayed by these mercenary journalists – backward Bedouins living in caves. No, no. By no means. This kind of talk can

only fool naïve people.”

Dr. Abdallah Fahd al-NafisiKuwaiti Political Scientist

& al-Qa’ida-affiliated ideologue31 January 2009

International TerroristInterest

Mitigating the Chemical Threat

WMD Countermeasures Unit IHQ level

WMD Coordinator Field level

Chemical Industry

BOTTOM UP APPROACH

TOP DOWN APPROACH

•Operates at corporate level•Gains national view of chemical vulnerabilities•Establish tripwires•Conduct awareness training•Chemical Outreach Day•Creation of database for outreach activity

•Operates at point of sale level•Access to regional chemical threat view as well as national•Establish relationships with chemical contacts in AOR•Conduct awareness training•Access to SMEs through HQ for reach back capability

Opportunity for CountermeasuresLondon 7/7/05 Bombers

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Countermeasures employed by:

Multiple trips to store (07/25 & 08/28)Limited quantities purchasedUtilized more than one purchaserPaid Cash

Najibullah Zazi

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Countermeasures employed by Najibullah Zazi:

Placed multiple items on counter to disguise true intention (hair rollers, shower cap)

Only placed one peroxide bottle on counter

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Countermeasures employed by Najibullah Zazi:

Feasible story to cashier? Multiple girlfriends?

Anything is POSSIBLE…but is it plausible?

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Counting on a lack of WMD awareness…–Misconceptions in retail sector re: WMD/Terrorism–Lack of WMD awareness by salespeople, cashiers, store personnel

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Counting on a lack of WMD awareness…

“…at the time it wouldn’t be a red flag…who would think that something you find at the grocery store, at many different retail stores….would be cause for alarm?”

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Counting on a lack of WMD awareness…

“…not in my wildest dreams did I think that we would be sitting here a week later and watching the arrest of this gentleman…it’s horrifying”

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Staying A Step Ahead….

Counting on a lack of WMD awareness…

Bottom Line: Outreach, Education, Partnerships, TRIPWIRES

WMDD Chemical CounterterrorismOutreach Objectives

Build national and international chemical terrorism threat detection, identification, and reporting capabilities

Improve chemical terrorism assessment and investigative capabilities

Enhance chemical industry and academic outreach

Bomb Tech/WMDCCollaborative Effort

Incident Response– Utilize WMDC resources for additional

information if needed– WMDC can provide vital information regarding

recent alerts may assist in your RSPPost Incident Intelligence– Notifying WMDC of device and/or chemical

trends seen in the field

Message to Remember

WMD Countermeasures Unit IHQ level

WMD Coordinator Field level

Chemical Industry

BOTTOM UP APPROACH

TOP DOWN APPROACH

•Operates at corporate level•Gains national view of chemical vulnerabilities•Establish tripwires•Conduct awareness training•Chemical Outreach Day•Creation of database for outreach activity

•Operates at point of sale level•Access to regional chemical threat view as well as national•Establish relationships with chemical contacts in AOR•Conduct awareness training•Access to SMEs through HQ for reach back capability

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Questions?Questions?