Ingredients to Make Sarin Nerve Gas are Too Accessible, Says Magazine

Report
https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=5599

General Information

Source: NBC Today Show Resource Type: Video News Report

Creator: Katie Couric/Bob Arnot Copyright: NBCUniversal Media,
LLC.
Event Date: 11/05/2001 Copyright Date: 2001
Air/Publish Date: 11/05/2001 Clip Length 00:01:45

Description
An article in "Scientific American" magazine illustrates the ease of obtaining, by mail order, the
ingredients needed to make the lethal nerve gas Sarin.

Keywords
Sarin, Nerve Gas, Agent, Lethal, Toxic, Ingredients, Access, Chemicals, Industrial, Nazis, Mail Order,
Chemical, Manufacturers, Controls, Sales, Weaponizing, Threat, Tokyo, Subway, Anthrax, Panic, 9/11,
September 11, Chemistry, "Scientific American", Magazine, Chemical Manufacturers Association

Citation

MLA

© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 3

"Ingredients to Make Sarin Nerve Gas are Too Accessible, Says Magazine Report." Bob Arnot,
correspondent. NBC Today Show. NBCUniversal Media. 5 Nov. 2001. NBC Learn. Web. 4 May 2015

APA
Arnot, B. (Reporter), & Couric, K. (Anchor). 2001, November 5. Ingredients to Make Sarin Nerve Gas are
Too Accessible, Says Magazine Report. [Television series episode]. NBC Today Show. Retrieved from
https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=5599

CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE

"Ingredients to Make Sarin Nerve Gas are Too Accessible, Says Magazine Report" NBC Today Show,
New York, NY: NBC Universal, 11/05/2001. Accessed Mon May 4 2015 from NBC Learn:
https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=5599

Transcript
Ingredients to Make Sarin Nerve Gas are Too Accessible, Says Magazine Report
KATIE COURIC, co-host:
So much of the country's attention these days is focused on anthrax, the lives lost and the panic it has
caused, but as if we don't have enough to worry about, an article in the December issue of Scientific
American--being released today on their Web site--takes a look at another potential threat. Here's NBC's
Dr. Bob Arnot.
DR. BOB ARNOT reporting:
Sarin, used by the Japanese religious sect Aum Shinri Kyo in the Tokyo subway in 1995, killing 12 and
injuring more than 5,000. First developed by the Nazis, sarin is a lethal nerve agent, just one drop enough
to kill an adult. But surprisingly, the ingredients necessary to make this deadly weapon can all be
purchased legally in the United States. It's a security flaw that George Musser, an editor at Scientific
American, wanted to expose when he set out, after the September 11th attacks, to purchase the chemicals
on his own.
GEORGE MUSSER: Buying the ingredients for sarin was just as easy as picking up the phone. I picked
up the phone, I said, `I need chemicals X, chemicals Y, chemical Z, it came in the mail in three days.'
DR. ARNOT: How expensive was it?
MUSSER: A hundred and forty-four dollars.
DR. ARNOT: These chemicals are widely used by industry, and while their sales are not controlled by the
government, the Chemical Manufacturers Association says their members do follow procedures to vet
customers and track distribution, and most experts agree making that sarin and weaponizing it remains
difficult. But the Scientific American experiment still raises the question, should the key chemicals be
more tightly controlled? For TODAY, Dr. Bob Arnot, NBC News, New York.

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