Frequently Asked Questions

What are Weapons of Mass Destruction?

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) are defined in US law (18 USC 2332a) as:
(A) any destructive device as defined in section 921 of this title (i.e. explosive device);
(B) any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury
through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their
precursors;
(C) any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector (as those terms are defined
in section 178 of this title)(D) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or
radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.
WMD is often referred to by the collection of modalities that make up the set of weapons:
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE). These are weapons
that have a relatively large-scale impact on people, property, and/or infrastructure.
Why does the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD) exist?
In 2006, the FBI determined that the threat presented by WMD was sufficient to require
specialized attention. WMDD was established to create a unique combination of law
enforcement authorities, intelligence analysis capabilities, and technical subject matter
expertise that exists nowhere else in the U.S. government. The creation of WMDD
enabled the FBI to focus its WMD preparedness, prevention, and response capabilities in
a single, focused organization rather than through decentralized responsibilities across
divisions.
What is the nature of the threat?
WMD terrorism and proliferation are evolving threats to U.S. national security. In his
2010 testimony before the Senate and the House of Representatives, the director of
national intelligence stated that dozens of identified domestic and international terrorists
and terrorist groups have expressed their intent to obtain and use WMD in future acts of
terrorism. The frequency of high-profile acts of terrorism has increased over the past
decade. Indicators of this increasing threat include the 9/11 attacks, the 2001 Amerithrax
letters, the possession of WMD-related materials by Aafia Siddiqui when she was
captured in 2008, and multiple attempts by terrorists at home and abroad to use
explosives improvised from basic chemical precursors. The challenge presented by these
threats is compounded by the large volume of hoax threats that distract and divert law
enforcement agencies from addressing real threats.
In its 2008 report World at Risk, the Commission on the Prevention of WMD
Proliferation and Terrorism stated there is a high likelihood of some type of WMD
terrorist attack by the year 2013. The U.S. Intelligence Community determined that the
most probable WMD scenarios involve the use of toxic industrial chemicals, biological

toxins/poisons, or radioisotopes fabricated into an improvised dispersal device. The use

of chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, and improvised nuclear devices
are other possiblethough less likelyscenarios due to the difficulties in obtaining the
necessary materials, technologies, and expertise.
In addition to efforts by terrorists to use WMD, multiple countries seek to expand their
WMD capabilities. For some of these countries, U.S. technologies represent the key to
moving their WMD programs forward. The U.S. faces constant attempts by foreign
nations to obtain technology, knowledge, and materials for the development and
production of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. As new technologies emerge
and mature and as scientific expertise and technological equipment become more readily
available, the challenge of safeguarding these from those that would use them for
nefarious purposes is increasing exponentially. Accordingly, the U.S. government must
regularly reassess its counterproliferation methods to meet the ever-changing challenge.
What kinds of cases does WMDD manage?
Unlike some other FBI divisions, WMDD approaches cases based on modalities and
methods rather than actors. In this way, WMDD addresses purely WMD cases and
supports its partners in the Counterterrorism Division and the Counterintelligence
Division on cases where the WMD nexus is secondary.
WMDDs case management responsibilities fall into two primary categories: WMD
terrorism and WMD proliferation. The WMD terrorism cases managed by WMDD
involve non-attributed instances involving the threat, attempt, or use of a WMD. These
may include anything from the mailing of a letter containing white powder to the
attempted fabrication of a chemical weapon. On the proliferation side, WMDD handles
all WMD proliferation cases that do not directly involve an intelligence officer from a
foreign nation.
See the Case Examples webpage for specific examples of the FBI WMD cases.
What is WMD counterproliferation?
Counterproliferation describes the collective activities conducted by U.S. government
agencies to prevent foreign governments and other organizations from obtaining WMD or
from acquiring the materials, technology, and knowledge necessary to fabricate a WMD.
Typically, WMD counterproliferation activities are aimed at preventing the spread of
high-impact WMD such as nuclear weapons, contagious biological agents, and militarygrade chemical weapons.