NCJ Number
192809
Date Published
December 2001
Length
207 pages
Annotation
This report assesses America's capabilities to respond to terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
Abstract
During the past year, the Advisory Panel focused on functional challenges to protecting the United States against terrorism in five specific areas: State and Local Response; Health and Medical Capabilities; Immigration and Border Control; Security Against Cyber Attacks; and Clarifying the Roles and Missions of the Military. The panel recommends, among other things, that: (1) Federal agencies increase and accelerate sharing terrorism-related threat assessments and intelligence with appropriate State and local officials and response organizations; (2) Congress provide to the Department of Health and Human Services sufficient resources for full implementation of the Centers for Disease Control Secure and Rapid Communications Networks; (3) the Government establish a contractor-operated national facility for research, development, and production of vaccines and therapeutics for specified infectious--especially contagious--diseases; (4) the U.S. government negotiate with Canada and Mexico more comprehensive treaties and agreements for combating terrorism; (5) the President establish an entity to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for research, development, test, and evaluation to enhance cyber security; and (6) the National Command Authority establish a single, unified command and control structure to execute all functions for providing military support or assistance to civil authorities. Notes, figures, tables, appendixes, references