The Official Website of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County

There have been over 36 anthrax hoax incidents in Indianapolis since 1998.   Although the "Cold War" between the United States and the former Soviet Union is over, the threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States has not diminished.  Russia, China, India, and Pakistan have demonstrated the use of nuclear weapons.  North Korea, Iraq and Iran have well developed biological and chemical weapons capabilities.  The collapse of the former Soviet Union and its resulting need for foreign capitol has increased the likelihood of the illicit sale of nuclear weapons and weapon making technology.  Chemical and biological weapons are becoming the "poor man's" weapon of mass destruction with a dramatic increase in chem-bio incidents in the last few years including:  1995 bubonic plague incident in Ohio, 1995 ricin incident in Arkansas, 1997 anthrax incident in Washington, D.C., and the 1998 anthrax incident in Las Vegas.  As the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings have demonstrated, we are not immune to home grown terrorism.  Marion County is a target because it is the State Capitol.  Additionally, Hughes Technology Services (formerly the Naval Air Warfare Center) and the U.S. Army Finance Center at Fort Harrison remain strategic targets.  Indianapolis is home to a number of groups unhappy with various levels of government including the Skinheads, Black Panthers, and the Unorganized Militia of the United States.  There are a number of Ku Klux Klan and militia groups located throughout Indiana and nearby in Ohio.