BBC - International Terrorism (2008) Part 16 Japanese Sarin Cult

International Terrorism: The Global War on Terror

The terrorist is by no means a new actor on the world stage. However, thanks to startling developments in military and communications technology, this perennial threat to freedom and security has taken a quantum leap forward during the past thirty years. In many cases, these vicious and determined men and women have supplanted nation states on the globe's “most wanted” list! This extraordinary 26-episode series provides a comprehensive look at these modern masters of political murder and extortion. From the I.R.A. to al-Qaeda, Global Terror runs the gamut of groups that have pledged themselves to destroy the stability that we cling to so tenuously—examining their goals, their methods and their terrifying prospects for success!

Part 16: Japanese Sarin Cult

On 20 March 1995, a group of terrorists released a deadly nerve gas called Sarin (developed by the Nazis in World War II) into the Tokyo subway system. It was the height of rush hour, so it caused the maximum panic and chaos. It also killed 12 people and resulted in another 50 falling seriously ill. Thousands more suffered from the after-effects. Just two days after the Tokyo subway attack, more than 1,000 Japanese police stormed the Aum headquarters. Here they discovered a huge stockpile of deadly chemical and biological warfare agents, including enough Sarin ingredients to kill four million people.

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