In the aftermath of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against America, the US government updated its list of foreign terrorist organizations to include Aum Shinrikyo:

The U.S. administration on Friday added 22 groups, including Japan's AUM Shinrikyo cult, to a list of foreign terrorist organizations subject to an asset freeze in the United States.

''Listing these organizations under the Sept. 24 terrorist financing executive order underscores the administration's objectives to disrupt the financial base of terrorists,'' the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The executive order, signed by President George W. Bush, enabled the administration to freeze the assets of designated terrorist groups in the U.S.
[...]

The 22 are all on a list of 28 foreign terrorist organizations issued Oct. 5 by the State Department.

As an aside, this was an interesting move on the part of the U.S. government. After all, on the one hand Washington chides countries like France and Germany for keeping tabs on the Church of Scientology - a cult whose scriptures promote and condone unethical behavior, including hate- and harassment activities - but which America's IRS (tax collection office) has deemed to be a 'religion.' On the other hand the USA not only supports Japan's surveillance of Aum Shinrikyo, but also declares the group to be a terrorist organization.

In January, 2001, the Henry L. Stimson Center - a U.S. nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to enhancing international peace and security, issued a report titled, "Ataxia: The Chemical and Biological Terrorism Threat and the US Response."

Source: Ataxia: The Chemical and Biological Terrorism Threat and the US Response

The full report is available online:

• Preface and Executive Summary
  
• Chapter 1---Introduction
  
• Chapter 2---Grounding the Threat in Reality
  
• Chapter 3---Rethinking the Lessons of Tokyo
        - Behind the Facade of Aum
        - Aum's Technically Inept Biological Weapons Program
        - Aum's Chemical Weapons Program
        - Deadly Dress Rehearsal At Matsumoto
        - Anatomy of the March 20th Attack
        - Tokyo's Rescue Agencies and Hospitals Respond to the Aum Attack
        - Repercussions for Tokyo's Emergency Rescuers and Hospital Staffs
        - The Wake of the March 20th Attack
        - Five Years After Tokyo: Rethinking the Lessons
• Chapter 4---Federal Programs: Disconnected in More Ways Than One
  
• Chapter 5---A Bottom-Up View of Top-Down Training and Equipment Programs
  
• Chapter 6---Metropolis, USA: Progress, Pitfalls in Front-line Readiness
  
• Chapter 7---Observations and Conclusions
  

See Also:
» Aleph PR Department: A series of items from Aum's (Aleph's) official english-language web site explaining why the movement believes it should no longer be considered dangerous.
» 1993 Failed Biological Attacks Offer Scientists Important Lessons, ABC News, Oct. 5, 2001
» Japanese sect was close to bioterrorism, journal says, Miami Herald, Aug. 30, 2001
» Terrorism: Question and Answers - Aum Shinrikyo This site is operated by the Council on Foreign Relations (USA): "a nonpartisan membership organization, research center, and publisher. It is dedicated to increasing America's understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy."

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