U.S. gets “F” in preparation for threat of biological terrorism
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism gave the U.S. government an “F” for bioweapon preparedness; the commission warned: “On the current course, what is likely to occur within a very few years is an attack using weapons of mass destruction — probably a bioweapon — that will fundamentally change the character of life for the world’s democracies”
The United States has failed to adequately prepare for the threat of biological terrorism, a report concluded Tuesday. The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism gave the U.S. government an “F” for bioweapon preparedness. It said the blame could be shared among Democratic and Republican administrations and Congress.
“The clock is ticking, and time is running out,” according to the commission, led by former Sens. Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat, and Jim Talent, a Missouri Republican. “On the current course, what is likely to occur within a very few years is an attack using weapons of mass destruction — probably a bioweapon — that will fundamentally change the character of life for the world’s democracies.”
Talent told reporters in a conference call that “You talk privately with people in the administration, they’ll tell you we’re nowhere on bio… We’re just not where we need to be.… Our major metropolitan areas are not prepared.”
The White House does not agree with the commission’s failing grade, an unnamed source told the AP. A spokesman said the president tonight would unveil a plan to speed the response to a possible bioterror event.
Kansas City Star’s Dave Helling writes that Congress two years ago established the bipartisan commission to assess the U.S. readiness to respond to the terror threat. In December 2008, the commission concluded that a weapon of mass destruction — probably biologically based — would probably be deployed somewhere in the world by 2013.
A report issued Monday by Harvard University said al-Qaeda was still pursuing biological, chemical, and nuclear weaponry.
The commission said the U.S. response to the H1N1 flu showed that authorities were not ready for a bioterror attack. “The United States is woefully behind in its capability to rapidly produce vaccines and therapeutics, essential steps for adequately responding to a biological threat, whether natural or man-made,” the report said. “H1N1 came with months of warning. But even with time to prepare, the epidemic peaked before most Americans had access to vaccine. A bioattack will come with no such warning.”
Preventing a bioterror attack is difficult, so the best deterrent is a strong response mechanism, Talent said. Terrorists will not attempt the attack, he argued, if the nation is ready to respond quickly to limit injuries and deaths.
The commission did find progress in some of the seventeen areas studied. It gave the government above-average grades for openness of public communications regarding weapons of mass destruction, and for Obama’s efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
It did, however, give a “D+” to the government’s efforts to regulate “high containment” laboratories that study dangerous pathogens.
In his conference call, Talent said that grade should not cause concerns in the Midwest, where a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is planned for Manhattan, Kansas. Talent said that facility should be secure enough to minimize the risk of contamination or improper use of biologic materials.
