Chemical Warfare: DOD's Reporting of Its Chemical and Biological Research
NSIAD-90-102
Published: Aug 02, 1990. Publicly Released: Sep 11, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the completeness and accuracy of the Department of Defense's (DOD) reporting on its chemical warfare and biological defense research programs.
GAO found that: (1) project objectives and accomplishments for seven selected projects reported in congressional descriptive summaries were accurate and consistent with those reported in other documents; (2) the DOD annual report does not describe the overall goals of the chemical and biological defense research programs; and (3) the U.S. annual report to the United Nations on biological defense research includes little information from the military community on what it has published.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Including information on program goals and a statement of progress in achieving them would improve the DOD annual report by setting it in perspective and allowing more comprehensive oversight. However, in view of the DOD position not to include this information in its annual report, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs may wish to consider whether it believes such information would be beneficial in meeting its oversight responsibilities, and initiate efforts to modify the reporting requirements accordingly. | Congressional staff reaffirmed a desire for the DOD annual report, but have not yet addressed specifics of the report's content. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should change the scope of the annual DOD report to include a description of Chemical Warfare, Chemical/Biological Defense Research Program and intermediate goals. |
DOD believes adequate information is now being provided through current reports.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should change the scope of the annual DOD report to include a statement of progress as it relates to the program or intermediate goals. |
DOD believes adequate information is now being provided through current reports.
|
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Topics
Biological agentsBiological researchBiological warfareChemical agentsChemical researchChemical warfareCongressional oversightMilitary research and developmentReporting requirementsResearch programs