European parliament paper: EU must prepare for ISIS chemical attack on its soil

The report warns that the group appears to have already manufactured rudimentary chemical warfare shells and used them to attack Kurds in Iraq and Syria on at least three occasions.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: DECEMBER 7, 2015 01:14
Chemical weapons disposal [file] (photo credit: REUTERS)
Chemical weapons disposal [file]
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The European Union should prepare for the possibility of a chemical or biological attack on its territory by Islamic State terrorists, a new report by the European Parliament warns.
According to a research paper published by the European Parliament, “European governments and EU institutions need to be on alert, and should consider publicly addressing the possibility of a terrorist attack using chemical, biological, radiological or even nuclear materials.”
The report warns that the group appears to have already manufactured rudimentary chemical warfare shells and used them to attack Kurds in Iraq and Syria on at least three occasions.
In addition, the paper cites multiple reports that Islamic State had several opportunities in recent years to gain access to non-conventional materials in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
The group also has significant financial resources and proven success in recruiting skilled university graduates able to master the technical challenges of orchestrating a non-conventional attack in Europe, according to the report. The study suggests that EU governments should begin to take precautions including routinely equipping emergency crews with antidotes to a non-conventional attack and increasing security around key installations.