Weapons of Mass Destruction Pose a Serious Threat to U.S. Cities: How Prepared Are We?

In light of the 20 March 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, the United States reexamined its capabilities to respond to an incident involving the criminal/terrorist use of a WMD in one of our nation's cities. When domestic capabilities were found to be sorely lacking in this regard, congress enacted legislation, Title XIV of PL 104-201, "Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction," (Nunn-Lugar II) to enhance national preparedness. Subtitle-A of this legislation, "Domestic Preparedness," tasks the Department of Defense with a significant role in developing and deploying domestic countermeasures against nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction. Proposed research will identify current vulnerabilities and examine the military's role under Subtitle-A. Central to this effort will be a critical analysis of DOD's responsibilities, from both a policy as well as operational perspective. Research objectives are twofold. First, critique the adequacy of the "Subtitle-A" response to this threat. Second, determine what the implications are of the role assigned to the military.