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 the European Parliament research paper, first reported on by the Daily Mail, “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 the 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 report suggests that EU governments should begin to take precautions such as routinely equipping emergency crews with antidotes to a non-conventional attack and increasing security around key installations.
Also suggested is the possibility of informing the public of the threat of such attacks and instructing on the proper action to take in the event of such an incident.
