Preparing for Response to a Nuclear Weapon of Mass Destruction, Are We Ready

摘要

In the wake of the untimely execution of an ill-coordinated response to the Hurricane Katrina devastation and destruction that rocked the Gulf Coast, it is important to examine how the United States Government is organized and resourced to confront future catastrophic disasters. Hurricane Katrina, an anticipated natural disaster, clearly demonstrates the enormous complexity associated with the extensive coordination required to synchronize the efforts of local, State, and Federal governmental agencies faced with a significant crisis. In the event the crisis is an unexpected terrorist attack employing a nuclear or radiological weapon of mass destruction, the complexity of synchronizing the response effort increases exponentially. The National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction acknowledges that nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the possession of hostile states and terrorists represent one of the greatest security challenges facing the United States. Although extremist groups and terrorists have a wide variety of potential agents and delivery means to choose from for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack, this study focuses specifically on response capability to a radiological or nuclear WMD attack against the United States.