{"131551":{"#nid":"131551","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nunn School Undergraduate Presents Research on WMD Terrorism at West Point","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThird year International Affairs and Modern Languages major, Lucia Bird, presented research results that challenge accepted wisdom on WMD terrorism in the Middle East at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usma.edu\/\u0022\u003EUnited States Military Academy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(USMA)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ctc.usma.edu\/\u0022\u003ECombating Terrorism Center (CTC)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBird was selected to present at West Point\u2019s second annual \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ctc.usma.edu\/posts\/2nd-annual-ctc-student-conference-held\u0022\u003ECadet\/Student Conference on Terrorism, Insurgency, and Asymmetric Conflicts\u003C\/a\u003E held on March 27th. The conference is a high level forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present research focusing on the characteristics, causes, and implications of terrorism and insurgency and to discuss the larger issues associated with asymmetric conflicts. Those in the reviewing panel included West Point faculty and experts in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvised by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/margaret-e-kosal\u0022\u003EMargaret E. Kosal\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in The Sam Nunn School for International Affairs, Bird explored acquisition and use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by non-state actors in the Middle East. The work challenges traditional thoughts on the relationship between WMD terrorism and state support, and improved understanding of terrorist organizations\u2019 WMD motivations and capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBird empirically chronicled the acquisition, attempts, and use of WMD by Hamas and Hezbollah from available literature and media sources. Bird and Kosal further studied existing evidence on the suspected relationships between these two organizations and potential state supporters (Iran and Syria). Comparing the different success rates of the two organizations and taking into account the different levels of state support, the research probes the extent to which state support of terrorist groups seriously impacts WMD acquisition, development, and use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConventional theories suggest that non-state actors do benefit from state assistance in the pursuit of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents. Bird and Kosal, however, found that an unanticipated trend appears: Hamas, which lacks significant state support, seems freer to pursue WMD activity; while there are limited attempts to attain or employ WMD by Hezbollah, which may be restricted because of its relationship with Iran and Syria.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe broader impact of the research relates to the strategy and policies of the U.S. to deter pursuit of and prevent acquisition or use of WMD by non-state actors.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThird year International Affairs and Modern Languages major, Lucia Bird, presented research results that challenge accepted wisdom on WMD terrorism in the Middle East at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usma.edu\/\u0022\u003EUnited States Military Academy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(USMA)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ctc.usma.edu\/\u0022\u003ECombating Terrorism Center (CTC)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27167","created_gmt":"2012-05-18 17:45:48","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:18","author":"Rebecca Keane","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"131561":{"id":"131561","type":"image","title":"Lucia Bird","body":null,"created":"1449178647","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:27","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Lucia Bird","file":{"fid":"194692","name":"ctc_luciabird200x300.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ctc_luciabird200x300_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ctc_luciabird200x300_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":29417,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ctc_luciabird200x300_0.jpg?itok=V9JNpZ10"}}},"media_ids":["131561"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"851","name":"INTA"},{"id":"13914","name":"Lucia Bird"},{"id":"4034","name":"margaret kosal"},{"id":"8263","name":"terror"},{"id":"1264","name":"WMD"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}