Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, Report Card: An Assessment of the U.S. Government's Progress in Protecting the United States from Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism
Abstract
OVERVIEW: In December 2008, the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism released a unanimous threat assessment: Unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013. Less than a month after this assessment, then Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell publicly endorsed it. That weapon is more likely to be biological than nuclear. The assessment was based on four factors. First, there is direct evidence that terrorists are trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Second, acquiring WMD fits the tactical profile of terrorists. They understand the unique vulnerability of first-world countries to asymmetric weapons. The airplanes that al Qaeda flew into the World Trade Center were asymmetric weapons. Third, terrorists have demonstrated global reach and the organizational sophistication to obtain and use WMD. As the Commission's report, World at Risk, found, if al Qaeda recruits skilled bioscientists, it will acquire the capability to develop and use biological weapons. Fourth, the opportunity to acquire and use such weapons is growing exponentially because of the global proliferation of nuclear material and biological technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA513786