| Sumario: | Part of a special section on chemical and biological terrorism. The writer replies to 24 commentaries on his article “Chemical/Biological Terrorism: Coping with a New Threat,” all of which appear in this issue. The writer contends that the issue of possible motivations of terrorist organizations in resorting to chemical and biological (C/B) weapons is complex and that his analysis was simplistic in seeking to draw a sharp distinction between groups motivated by political ends versus religious or racist ideology. He argues that what is new about the threat of C/B terrorism is that it potentially grants a small number of individuals the capacity to disturb society on an immense scale. In addition, he asserts that the largest threat comes from terrorists motivated by religious fanaticism or racial hatred, who regard violence and murder directed against a specific race or class of people as justifiable. Finally, he addresses some of the criticisms of his technical arguments and policy recommendations.
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