NCJ Number
191014
Date Published
September 2001
Length
218 pages
Annotation
This document assesses the progress the Federal Government has made in efforts to combat terrorism.
Abstract
The threat of terrorism is a high-priority national security and law enforcement concern. In 1998, a national coordinator was appointed in the National Security Council to serve as a focal point for overall leadership and coordination. Other key overall leadership and coordination functions, such as guiding the development of a national strategy, were not clearly assigned to the focal point. Federal efforts to develop a national strategy to combat terrorism and related guidance have progressed, but key challenges remain. An assessment of the most likely weapon of mass destruction agents and other terrorist threats has not been completed. The Five Year Interagency Counterterrorism and Technology Crime Plan is an interagency effort identifying goals and objectives, setting priorities, and tracking agencies’ progress. But, while citing goals and objectives, the plan does not include measurable outcomes, and it does not identify State and local government roles in combating terrorism. Substantial progress has been made in completing operational guidance and related plans to coordinate agencies’ responses at the site of a terrorist incident. Also, Federal agencies have conducted a variety of exercises to test their response capabilities. Federal assistance to State and local governments to prepare for terrorist incidents has resulted in training for thousands of first responders. The Federal Government has provided some States with specialized National Guard teams, but these teams continue to experience problems that undermine their usefulness. Federal agencies have taken initial steps to develop critical infrastructure protection plans; but independent audits continue to identify persistent, significant information security weaknesses that place Federal operations at high risk of tampering and disruption. 7 tables, 12 figures, and 17 appendices