Quote We must deny the terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile and sinister ideology. We must drive them out of our nations.

KEEPING WMD OUT OF TERRORISTS’ HANDS: President Donald J. Trump is releasing a new National Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Terrorism.

President Trump’s new strategy will focus on deterrence, detection, and disruption.

The strategy emphasizes on preventing terrorists from conducting WMD attacks and deterring hostile states and individuals from assisting them. This will include: Making acquisition of WMD and associated materials as difficult as possible. Strengthening our defenses to a degree that such terrorist attacks will be unsuccessful. Deterring state and individual support for WMD terrorism.

The President’s strategy addresses the need to disrupt and degrade the technical capabilities of terrorists plotting WMD attacks.

The United States will make investments to identify and protect against technological trends that may enable terrorists to develop, acquire, or use WMD.

Educational campaigns and other efforts will seek to increase the preparedness of State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as our citizens.

Given the potential global effects of WMD terrorism, the United States will assist other countries where necessary to build their capacity to combat this growing threat.

COUNTERING THIS GROWING THREAT: The Trump Administration is taking these new aggressive steps to counter the growing threat posed by WMD terrorism.

Despite decades of efforts, past approaches have insufficiently mitigated the WMD threat to the United States.

Over the past 40 years, multiple groups have attempted to develop WMD and, in some cases, have successfully used them against military and civilian targets. ISIS, for instance, has used sulfur mustard, chlorine, and other toxic chemicals on the battlefield.

Technology has enabled terrorists to more easily acquire the capability to use WMD.

Past terrorist attacks suggest that terrorists would not hesitate to use WMD should they acquire them.

Without our intervention, the historical trend indicates that the development and use of WMD by terrorists will continue to increase at a significant rate.

DEFENDING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Donald J. Trump is committed to defending the American people from the threat of terrorism and WMD.