Combating Terrorism: Need for Comprehensive Threat and Risk Assessments of Chemical and Biological Attacks
NSIAD-99-163
Published: Sep 07, 1999. Publicly Released: Oct 08, 1999.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the scientific and practical aspects of a terrorist carrying out large-scale chemical or biological attacks on U.S. soil, focusing on the: (1) technical ease or difficulty for terrorists to acquire, process, improvise, and disseminate certain chemical and biological agents; and (2) extent to which the U.S. government has assessed the threats and risks posed by chemical and biological terrorism in the United States to serve as a basis for planned investments.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | The Attorney General should direct the FBI Director to prepare a formal, authoritative intelligence threat assessment that specifically assesses the chemical and biological agents that would more likely be used by domestic-origin terrorists-non-state actors working outside a state-run laboratory infrastructure. |
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agreed with this recommendation just after the report was issued. In January 2003, the FBI published its FBI Counterterrorism Assessment, which analyzed terrorists threats to the United States homeland, from both domestic and international terrorist groups. The assessment included a discussion of risk, groups, motivations, capabilities, targets, likelihood of attack, and emerging threats. It also included some discussion of weapons of mass destruction.
|
| Department of Justice | The Attorney General should direct the FBI Director to sponsor a national-level risk assessment that uses national intelligence estimates and inputs from the intelligence community and others to help form the basis for and prioritize programs developed to combat terrorism. Because threats are dynamic, the Director should determine when the completed national-level risk assessment should be updated. |
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agreed with this recommendation just after the report was issued. In January 2003, the FBI published its FBI Counterterrorism Assessment, which analyzed terrorists threats to the United States homeland, from both domestic and international terrorist groups. The assessment included a discussion of risk, groups, motivations, capabilities, targets, likelihood of attack, and emerging threats. It also included some discussion of weapons of mass destruction.
|
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Topics
Biological agentsBiological warfareChemical agentsChemical warfareChemicalsCombating terrorismCrime preventionDomestic intelligenceEmergency preparednessHomeland securityRisk assessmentStrategic planningTerrorismTerrorists