The use of biological and chemical weapons (BCW) by rogue states and terrorist groups is arguably the most troubling risk to national security. The New Terror: Facing the Threat of Biological and Chemical Weapons, edited by Hoover Institution fellows Sidney D. Drell, Abraham D. Sofaer and George D. Wilson (Hoover Institution Press), scrutinizes many aspects of this problem and reviews options for deterrence. The book is based on presentations made at the Hoover Institution’s National Security Forum, an annual symposium that examines issues affecting security on a worldwide basis.

Some of the issues The New Terror explores in depth are:

• The importance of obtaining reliable intelligence regarding the intentions of would-be perpetrators while upholding legal standards,

• The difficulty of monitoring stockpiles of BCW in rogue states through treaties and inspections, and

• What the U.S. should do in case of a BCW attack—and what will be required of the public health system.

The book is arranged in six parts. Part One describes various biological and chemical agents, and gives likely scenarios for a BCW attack. Part Two deals with the role of the intelligence community, and Part Three updates the status of efforts to control the amount of BCW. Part Four discusses the legal constraints involved with BCW regulation, and Part Five details the existing state and federal preparations in the event of a BCW attack. Finally, Part Six lists possible ways to prevent such an attack. Each part opens with introductory remarks and concludes with a summary of main points.

Among the book’s contributors are former Stanford Law School Dean Paul Brest, Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, National Intelligence Council of the Central Intelligence Agency John Gannon, Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Condoleezza Rice, and Hoover Institution Distinguished Fellow George P. Shultz.

Sidney D. Drell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and an emeritus profesor of theoretical physics at the Stanford Linear Accelerator. Abraham D. Sofaer is the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he coordinates Hoover’s National Security Forum. George D. Wilson is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution.