Aum Shinrikyo Case

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On the morning of March 20, 1995, a poison gas attack in the Tokyo subway system killed 12 people and injured 5,000 more. The attack, carried out by the Aum Shinrikyo (“Supreme Truth”) religious cult, marked a turning point in the history of terrorism. For the first time, a non-state group had used a chemical weapon against civilians. Subsequent investigations by the Japanese authorities, the press, and the U.S. Congress revealed that Aum Shinrikyo had even more sinister terrorist ambitions. Beginning in 1990, cult scientists sought to develop biological weapons, and on a number of occasions, Aum members sprayed biological material in an attempt to kill large numbers of people, including members of the Japanese royal family. Testimony during