Report on Maximizing the Contribution of Science and Technology Within the New Department of Homeland Security

摘要

Science and technology have created a fundamental change in society during the past half-century. For the first time in history, individuals or small groups can threaten the lives and livelihood of very large groups. This gives leverage to individuals who can live among us and wield terrorism as a weapon--even against a nation with near dominance in conventional conflicts on the land, at sea, in the air and in space. Today's terrorists exploit technology, whether it be for their weaponry (e.g., explosives, chemicals, biological agents, radiological devices, nuclear weapons) or for managing their clandestine affairs (e.g., the Internet, cell phones, computers). Moreover, the terrorists likely targets often possess a high technological content (e.g., information networks, chemical plants, energy generation facilities, major structures, and aircraft).