[iwar] [fc:Scientists.Urge.New.Terrorism.Research]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2002-06-26 06:14:43


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Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 06:14:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Scientists.Urge.New.Terrorism.Research]
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Washington Post
June 25, 2002
Pg. 2
Report: U.S. Vulnerable To Attack 
Scientists Urge New Terrorism Research 
By Guy Gugliotta, Washington Post Staff Writer
A team of the nation's leading scientists called yesterday for a
comprehensive rethinking of the nation's anti-terrorism infrastructure,
underscoring the need to quickly bring existing technologies into use,
accelerate new research and create a Homeland Security Institute to evaluate
counterterrorism strategies.
"The structure of federal agencies is . . . to a large extent the result of
[the] distinction between the responsibility for national security and the
responsibility for domestic policy," the report said. "Given this
compartmentalization, the federal government is not appropriately organized
to carry out a [science and technology] agenda for countering catastrophic
terrorism."
The report by the National Research Council gave a long list of shortcomings
in scientific preparedness, including lack of coordination in research on
nuclear or "dirty bomb" threats and "enormous vulnerabilities" in the
ability of the public health system to defend against biological warfare.
The report detailed challenges in developing vaccines for airborne
pathogens, creating better sensors and filters for dangerous chemicals,
building a system to counter sabotage of the nation's food supply, finding
better methods to fend off attacks on nuclear reactors, the electrical power
grid and communications systems, and developing "defense in depth" for
airport and other transportation security.
Throughout the report, the researchers lamented a lack of coordination among
federal agencies and the absence of a "coherent overall strategy" to
"harness the strengths of the U.S. science and engineering communities, and
direct them most appropriately toward critical goals, both short- and
long-term.
"Research performed but not exploited, and technologies invented but not
manufactured and deployed, do not help the nation protect itself," the
report said.
The National Research Council is the operating arm of three private,
nonprofit organizations of the nation's most prominent scientists and
engineers. The council developed the report, "Making the Nation Safer: The
Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism," using its own
funds.
Richard D. Klausner, co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, said
the intent of the 120 scientists who participated was "not to criticize the
government," but "to say that the current structure of government was not
optimized to deal with terrorism."
But in studying counterterrorism preparedness across agencies, the panel
found that "many of the required technologies" showed up repeatedly, which
is not surprising in government, said Harvard's Lewis Branscombe, an expert
in science and public policy and the report's co-chair. "We saw the need for
an approach that wasn't going to get trapped in a bunch of independent
stovepipes that don't relate to one another."
The report proposed creation of an independent, nonprofit Homeland Security
Institute to function as a think tank, analyzing and testing the
effectiveness of counterterrorism technologies for the White House Office of
Homeland Security or a future cabinet department.
"It would be a group of highly trained people in appropriate disciplines to
evaluate threats, test what's deployed and look at the real world to see
what's actually going on," Branscombe said. "You make a technological
analysis to determine the vulnerability you're trying to address and decide
why the technology is or is not working."
Although the report wasn't scheduled for official release until today, early
briefings on Capitol Hill elicited a favorable reception from House Science
Committee Chairman Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-N.Y.).
"I like what I see. It says we have to have a coordinated [research and
development] strategy," Boehlert said. "It says we have to have somebody in
charge, and I'm enamored with the idea of the institute. A lot of what I'm
reading falls under the heading of common sense."
Despite the big-picture proposals, Branscombe said the meat of the report
was in recommendations for change in several "domains," which included
nuclear security, communications and transportation.
Many shortcomings in the report were being addressed. The Department of
Health and Human Services has asked hospital systems to assess their ability
to cope with large numbers of casualties from an act of biological warfare.
Many cities and states are using federal funds to build mechanisms so law
enforcement and emergency responders can share information in a timely
fashion.
But the report also identified emerging needs for agencies. It noted that
the new Transportation Security Administration had taken on the task of
improving airport security, but suggested it needed "a systematic approach"
and a research and planning office so it would not be making decisions
haphazardly.
"Agencies like TSA have much less experience interacting with the science
community," Branscombe said. "These non-science agencies have to develop the
ability to identify technological needs and develop relationships with the
technologists who can fulfill them."

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