CIAO DATE: 04/03

Consequence Management in the 1995 Sarin Attacks on the Japanese Subway System

Abstract

In the early to mid 1990s, a group known as Aum Shinrikyo amassed, and used against innocent civilians, an arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. A large body of literature details the evolution of Aum Shinrikyo, its shocking attacks on a housing complex in Matsumoto and on five subway lines in Tokyo using a chemical weapon, and Japanese society’s reaction to the attacks. Not much analysis, however, has been done on the lessons learned about consequence management from the first significant terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction to occur in modern times. Recent events in the United States including the dispersal of anthrax spores through the mail and scores of hoaxes alleging use of anthrax have brought the issue of terrorism using weapons of mass destruction (WMD) closer to home. The handling of the Aum Shinrikyo attacks offers the opportunity for policymakers, emergency response personnel, and other relevant professionals to learn about WMD consequence management.

An attack with a chemical weapon (as in Tokyo) or with a biological weapon (as in the United States) is different from a conventional attack because the potentially catastrophic effects of the attack can be substantially reduced with prompt intervention. In a large explosion, such as the aircraft bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., in September 2001, the actual impact of the explosion cannot be mitigated. The only hope is to save lives by rescuing people from the rubble and keeping potential victims away from the unstable structures. However, in a chemical or biological weapon attack, proper decontamination and rapid prophylaxis can often save lives and prevent the spread of disease or chemical exposure to the larger population.

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