Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks introduced the United States to domestic and complex terrorism. According to terrorism experts, public and private sector targets are indistinguishable to the perpetrators of this evolved form of terrorism. The global chemical industry’s counteroffensive against international terrorism depends in part on implementation of the Chemicals Weapons Convention (CWC), long supported by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and its sister associations in the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA). This paper describes the U.S. chemical industry’s response to September 11th and how adherence to the letter and spirit of the CWC helps prevent terrorism.