Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Intifada (intifadah):
From the Arabic for “shaking off,” the two intifadas (upris-
ings) that have occurred are similar in that both were originally character-
ized by civil disobedience by the Palestinians which escalated into the use
of terror. In 1987, following the killing of several Arabs in the Gaza Strip,
the first intifada began and continued until 1993. The second intifada began
in September 2000, following Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount.
Islam:
Meaning “submit,” Islam is the faith practiced by followers of Muhammad.
Islam claims more than a billion believers worldwide.
Jihad:
Meaning “struggle,” jihad is not easily defined, and doing so is a subject
of vast debate. There are two definitions generally accepted. The first is a
struggle against oppression, whether political or religious. The second is the
struggle within oneself, or a spiritual struggle.
Kneecapping:
A malicious wounding by a firearm to damage the knee joint; it was
a common punishment used by Northern Ireland's Irish Republican Army
(IRA) on those who collaborated with the British.
Koran (Qu'ran):
The holy book of Islam, considered by Muslims to contain the
revelations of God to Mohammed.
Laboratory Response Network (LRN):
A network of labs developed by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Association of Public Health
Laboratories (APHL), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the
express purpose of dealing with bioterrorism threats, including pathogens
and some biotoxins.
Lassa fever:
An acute, often fatal, viral disease characterized by high fever, ulcers
of the mucous membranes, headaches, and disturbances of the gastrointes-
tinal system.
LD
50
:
The dose of a substance that kills 50% of those infected.
Links:
The means (road, rail, barge, or pipeline) by which a chemical is transported
from one node to another.
Mindset:
(1) A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's
response to an interpretation of situations; or (2) an inclination or a habit
(
American Heritage Dictionary
). Alternatively, (1) a mental attitude or
inclination, or (2) a fixed state of mind (
Merriam Webster's Collegiate
Dictionary
, 10th ed.). The term dates from 1926 but apparently is not
included in dictionaries of psychology.
Molotov cocktail:
A crude incendiary bomb made of a bottle filled with flammable
liquid and fitted with a rag wick.
Monkeypox:
The Russian bioweapon program worked with this virus, which is in
the same family as smallpox. In June 2003, a spate of human monkeypox
cases was reported in the U.S. Midwest. This was the first time that mon-
keypox was seen in North America, and it was the first time that monkey-
pox was transferred from animal to human. There was some speculation
that it was a bioattack.
Mullah:
A Muslim, usually holding an official post, who is trained in traditional
religious doctrine and law and doctrine.
Muslim (Moslem):
Followers of the teachings of Mohammed, or Islam.
