Highlights
– Operation demonstrates the ease in which an extremist could purchase a significant quantity of chlorine on the Internet
– Operation comes amid ongoing use of chlorine bombs by insurgents in Iraq
– Despite increased awareness over the potential threat from chlorine bombs, security gaps remain in the US
In mid-February 2008, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released its findings from “Operation Green Cloud,” an operation designed to demonstrate the ease in which an extremist is able to purchase a quantity of chlorine sufficient to carry out an attack in the US, without being detected by authorities.
The operation comes amid ongoing concern by US officials that extremists will use chlorine in an attack against the country, in light of the use of this tactic by insurgents in Iraq. While authorities have increased security efforts to combat the potential use of chemical weapons, it is likely that the issue will remain a focus for officials in the long-term, as extremists overseas continue to employ it with relative ease and positive results.
Details of the Operation
Operation Green Cloud began in June 2007, when an NYPD unit created a fake construction company tasked with restoring and purifying the Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn. Under this guise, officials set up a mailing address and website, and used this identity to purchase—via an Internet-based company—three 100 pound high- pressure cylinders of chlorine. According to the NYPD, at no point during the inquiry and sale were undercover officials asked to provide identification. Further, little human interaction with the company occurred throughout the process.
The NYPD unit also arranged for the canisters to be delivered on October 25, 2007 to a covert location in Brooklyn that housed both commercial and residential facilities. The driver delivering the material never asked for identification.
As a result of the operation, the NYPD concluded that, “At the present time, few if any barriers stand in [an extremist’s] way” from purchasing chlorine on the Internet.
Use of Chlorine Bombs in Iraq Sparks Concern
According to the NYPD, in the first half of 2007 alone, insurgents in Iraq used chlorine in bombings in at least 12 incidents, with officials thwarting several other attempts during the same period.
As previously reported, officials remain concerned over the potential for this tactic to be exported to the US for use in copycat attacks. In response, authorities have increased security efforts to protect chlorine facilities, vehicles transporting the material, and heightened screening and tracking of the chemical (Previous Report).
Security Gaps Remain
Despite increased awareness over the potential threat from chlorine bombs and heightened security measures, vulnerabilities remain- as highlighted through the recent NYPD operation. Specifically, following Operation Green Cloud, NYPD increased pressure on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement stricter regulations that would require any chlorine seller to confirm the legitimacy and identity of all customers, as under current regulations, no law exists that requires vendors to confirm a customer’s identity or report transactions.
At this time, there is no known specific terror threat to New York City, or the US in general, indicating that an attack involving chemicals is imminent. However, the potential remains for an extremist to employ chlorine in an attack against the homeland in the future. Therefore, it is important for officials to continue to address this threat and develop further measures to prevent and reduce the possibility of unauthorized individuals obtaining the chemical from various vendors around the country. Further, as extremists continue to use chlorine in bombings in Iraq, the potential threat will continue in the homeland.
