Defense Science Board 2005 Summer Study on Reducing Vulnerabilities to Weapons of Mass Destruction
Abstract
Reducing U.S. vulnerabilities to weapons of mass destruction is a topic of great importance to the nation's security. The technology of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has proliferated in the past decade as information and capabilities have become more accessible. Thus, actions to prevent such an attack should have high priority for the U.S. government and the Department of Defense. Why is the threat from weapons of mass destruction so important today? After all, the United States faced the potential of massive destruction from nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union for nearly half a century during the Cold War. The principle answer lies in the uniqueness of the security environment today. The growing spread of weapons of mass destruction provides small groups of individuals with the ability to deliver devastating harm to the United States. Such power, in the past, could only be delivered by nation-states with large economic, political, industrial, military, and social resources. Furthermore, these resources were valued by nation-states and could be readily held at risk making such policies as mutually assured destruction effective in dealing with the threat.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA471566
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense