WMD Terrorism

PP 190-15 & 290-15

Prof. Stephen M. Maurer

smaurer@berkeley.edu / (510) 642-6511

 

DESCRIPTION: The idea that terrorists could acquire and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) acquired new urgency after September 11. Yet public discussions still rely on Hollywood cliches at least as much as science. This course will present what is known about the WMD terrorism threat and how the US can respond. Topics will include terrorist incentives for acquiring WMD; the technology behind nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical weapons; methods for allocating scarce defense resources and promoting the development of new technologies; and international initiatives designed to limit WMD proliferation and fight terrorism. Course requirements will include a mid-term project, term paper, and individual class participation. (3 units).

ARCHIVE:  All course lectures will be archived on the Web. 

REQUIREMENTS: Grades in this course will be based on a Mid-Term, Final, Book Report, and Class Participation. Grades will be determined as follows:

o   MIDTERM (30%). The mid-term will be held on Oct. 20.  the exam will last one hour and fifteen minutes. It will cover the first half of the course.

o   FINAL (40%). The final will last one hour and fifteen minutes. It will concentrate on the second half of the course, but will also include some earlier material. It will also presume knowledge of earlier material.

o   BOOK REPORT (30%). Book reports will be due on Nov. 24 and students will make in-class oral presentations on Dec. 1. Students are expected to present a critical analysis of what they read using concepts from the course. You may obtain books from the attached list or make your own suggestion to the instructor. Graduate students may choose to review two research papers in lieu of a book report, provided that they obtain the instructor’s approval in advance.  All students will be asked to give a brief class presentation Students are encouraged to discuss their book reports during office hours.

o   CLASS PARTICIPATION: Class participation is strongly encouraged and may be used to adjust your grade at the instructor`s discretion. It is important that you prepare for and attend each class, since this will often be the only occasion when a particular topic is discussed. Students will have a final opportunity for class discussion when we discuss book reports on the last day of class.

 

OFFICE HOURS:  Office hours are 10:00 – 11:30 Fridays or by appointment.

 

SYLLABUS:  This syllabus is tentative subject to updates:

 

 

Date

 

Lecture

 

Readings

Aug. 27

 

1. Introduction

Slides

 

--

Sept. 1

 

2. Terrorism's First Century: 1870 - 1970

Slides

 

Chs. 1-2

Sept. 3

 

3. Politics (Prof. Bardach)

 

Ch. 8

Sept. 8

 

No Class

 

--

Sept. 10

 

No Class

 

--

 

Sept. 15

 

4. Modern Terrorism: 1970 – 2001

Slides

 

Chs. 1-2

Sept. 17

 

5. WMD Terrorism

Slides

 

Chs. 1-2

Sept. 22

 

6. Atomic Weapons and Firestorms

Slides

 

Ch. 3, Ch. 10

Sept. 24

 

7. Chemical and Radiological Weapons

Slides

 

Ch. 3

Sept. 29

 

8. Classical Biological Weapons

Slides

 

Ch. 3

Sept. 29 (Makeup)

 

9. Advanced Biological Weapons

Slides

 

Ch. 4

Oct. 1

 

10. Public Perception of Risk (A)

Slides

 

Ch. 16

Oct. 6

 

11. BioDetectors (T. Slezak)

Slides

 

Ch. 5

Oct. 8

 

12. Public Perception of Risk (B)

Slides

 

Ch. 5

Oct. 13

 

13. Response and Remediation (A)

Slides

 

Chs. 12, 13

Oct. 15

 

14. Response and Remediation (B)

Slides

 

Chs. 12, 13

Oct. 20

 

Midterm (Lectures 1-13)

 

 

Oct. 22

 

15. Insurance and Incentives (Prof. Jaffee)

Slides

 

Ch. 9

Oct. 27

 

16. Setting Priorities (Dr. Wheeler)

Slides

 

Ch. 17

Oct. 29

 

17. Nuclear Detectors (Prof. Norman)

Slides

 

Ch. 5

Nov. 3   No Class    

Nov. 5

 

18. Innovation Policy (A)

Slides

 

Ch. 15

Nov. 10

 

19. Innovation Policy (B)

Slides

 

Ch. 15

Nov. 12

 

20. Economic Impacts

Slides

 

Ch. 14

Nov. 17

 

21. Policy Interventions: Treaties & Norms

Slides

 

Ch 17

Nov. 19

 

22. Policy Interventions:  Academic Communities

Slides

 

Articles by Weart and Maurer/Zoloth.

Nov. 24

 

23. Policy Interventions: Private Sector

Book Reports Due

 

Readings from Nature .

Nov. 26

 

Thanksgiving

 

--

Dec. 1

 

Book Reports – In Class Presentations

 

--

Dec. 3

 

24. International Non-Proliferation Initiatives (Mike O'Brien)

 

Ch. 18

Dec. 8

 

Conclusion

 

--

TBD   Review Session