Nuclear and Biological Weapons Pose Greatest Peril, Report Says

The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism says the new Obama administration should focus on those weapons that pose the biggest threat: nuclear and biological weapons.

According to an article on Government Technology’s Emergency Management website, the congressionally-appointed committee released a new report last week entitled “World at Risk, and is briefing Vice President-elect Biden, President Bush and congressional leaders.

“Ours remains a world at risk and our margin of safety is shrinking, not growing. The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is likely that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013,” former Sen. Bob Graham, the Commission chairman, told the publication.

The report looked at several areas where it says the threat is increasing, including increased terrorism in parts of Pakistan, how to prevent biological and nuclear terrorism and the potential erosion of international nuclear security, treaties and norms as we enter a nuclear energy renaissance.

“The WMD report also details concrete recommendations to ensure a more efficient and effective domestic policy coordination structure, oversight reform and enhanced cooperation among appropriate law-enforcement and counterterrorism communities,” the article says.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.govtech.com/em/articles/567857