THE TOKYO GAS ATTACK: WILL IT BE EMULATED

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06836080
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: January 4, 2022
• Case Number: F-2017-01316
• Publication Date: August 1, 1995

Approved for Release: 2021/11/30 C06836080
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Director of Central Intelligence
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DI TR 95-008
August 1995
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Terrorism Review
Perspective
Articles
The Tokyo Gas Attack: Will It Be Emulated?
Page
The poison gas attack on the Tokyo subway in March was the first
large-scale terrorist use of chemical weapons against a vulnerable
urban target.
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Atigust 1995
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Perspective
The Tokyo Gas Attack: Will It Be Emulated?
The poison gas attack on the Tokyo subway in March was the first
large-scale terrorist use of chemical weapons against a vulnerable
urban target. Aum Shinrikyo had access to resources that are not avail-
able to most terrorist groups. Even so, Aum Shinrikyo
failed to disperse the sarin properly,
making the attack considerably less lethal than it could have been.
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Aum Shinrikyo was in
many ways well positioned to carry out a large-scale gas attack: (b)(1)
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� With reported assets of about one billion dollars, the group spent millions
of dollars and several years to develop its nerve gas program.
� Aum Shinrikyo's registration as a religious cult protected it from obtru-
sive police scrutiny of its facilities, because the Japanese are highly sensi-
tive to any harassment of religious groups.
Even with the resources available to Aum Shinrikyo, the number of people
killed-12�in the Tokyo attack was far lower than the death tolls from
some conventional terrorist bombings
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DI TR 95-008
August /995
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Given the costs involved
in a complicated effort such as Aum's use of sarin, we expect that a well-
heeled, state-sponsored group would have the best chance to produce nerve
gas and mount an attack with it. Other groups with fewer resources that may
want to try a similar attack would probably quickly find themselves wantin
for technical assistance� and might turn to a less sophisticated option.
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