Countering the threat of chemical terrorism requires orchestrated, robust, multi-sectoral preparedness

The threat of chemical terrorism is in the spotlight following the arrest in Vienna, Austria, of a group of teenagers allegedly linked to ISIS, or Daesh, apparently in possession of chemical substances, before a concert by singer Taylor Swift, which the Austrian authorities decided to cancel.

In this context, the Security Council The UN met on Thursday to discuss the threat posed by ISIS as a terrorist group.

“The threat of chemical terrorism is real,” said Niki Esse de Lang, regional counterterrorism coordinator for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “To counter it, we need a robust and integrated response from all relevant actors.”

Indonesia is testing its ability to respond to such threats through drills, which bring together representatives from government agencies and the private sector. So far, two have been held in Semarang in recent months, jointly organised by UNODC and Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency, with support from the National Police Mobile Brigade.

Since 2011, at least eight incidents of chemical terrorism have taken place in Indonesia, and internationally operating terrorist groups, including ISIS, have used chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria. In 1995, the toxic chemical compound sarin was used in the Tokyo subway in Japan by members of the Aum Shinrikyo movement, killing 15 people on the spot and injuring more than a thousand.

The The same chemicals used in legitimate industries, such as mining, agriculture or the pharmaceutical industry, can also be used by terrorists.Chlorine, for example, commonly used in water treatment facilities, can produce a chemical weapon.

This complex threat requires close cooperation between governments and the private sector at national, regional and international levels.

Drills against chemical terrorism

On a seemingly normal day in Semarang, Indonesia, some train passengers have begun to feel nauseous. Others nearby say they can’t breathe. Five have fainted. One is unresponsive. Within minutes, a miniature car whizzes past them, followed by a group of people in orange astronaut suits. They’re searching for bombs.

This is what a chemical terrorist attack simulation exercise looks like.

Outside the Semarang train, more people wearing protective gear have arrived during the training session. The scene is busy. Some are marking out a control zone, others are setting up decontamination stations and another group is providing medical aid.

A few open laptops and equipment to measure the air and potentially contaminated surfaces, while a team draws perimeters on the ground colored red, yellow and green, depending on the levels of contamination detected.

A miniature car with a sensor and camera drives around, taking samples and helping experts outside the perimeter determine toxicity levels. Nearby, a team dressed in yellow suits is sprayed by their colleagues before carefully removing their thick protective clothing.

The actors on the scene belong to different units and organisations: police, army, anti-terrorist, bomb disposal, forensic medicine, medical services, firefighters and public infrastructure security.

“This training is necessary because of the threat of this type of terrorism,” said Edi Suranta Sinulingga, commander of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Unit of the Indonesian National Police.There are increasing numbers of cases in Indonesia, so all stakeholders, not just security forces, must prepare. to anticipate this type of terrorist act.”

Each ministry, institution or agency has different procedures or ways of responding.

“A highly coordinated response to such a complex attack requires strong inter-agency collaboration,” says UNODC terrorism prevention expert Niels den Hollander, reiterating: “One entity alone cannot do it.”

Preparation is valuable

Another recent drill took place in a hotel room, and another last summer took place on an airplane. The first included more complex elements, such as fictional perpetrators in gas masks carrying weapons, suspected hazardous material, hostages in an airport and explosions that produced real smoke on the exercise grounds.

“As medical personnel, this training is of immense value,” said a doctor at Kariadi Hospital in Semarang. “We have to follow strict safety protocols before entering contaminated areas to help victims. If we don’t, we may become victims ourselves.”

Further specialist sessions focusing on crime scene management are planned for first responders to ensure they know how to properly record and collect evidence from the scene so it can be admissible in a criminal case.

“By bringing these agencies together in exercises, we facilitate a process whereby experts become comfortable making mistakes, learning from them, identifying gaps and developing programmes to remedy them,” explained Dimas Andianto, UNODC Programme Officer. “After all, It is much easier to face and learn from a mistake in an exercise than in real life.”.