Article
"Every American should understand that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) -- nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and their means of delivery -- pose a grave threat to the United States and to our military forces and our vital interests abroad." Thus begins the hard-hitting report of a bipartisan Congressional Commission chaired by John M. Deutch, member of the Belfer Center''s Board of Directors and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The report, released in July, offers a severe assessment of the state of weapons proliferation in places the U.S. sees as potential national security threats, from insecure Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons to Saddam Hussein''s reputed supplies of anthrax.
Combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has long been a central interest and concern of the Belfer Center. BCSIA Director Graham T. Allison welcomed the report and called it "an important and alarming assessment of WMD challenges around the world." He noted that the research of the Belfer Center in this area, and John Deutch''s work in particular, have contributed to a better understanding of the dangers of weapons proliferation and the urgent need for a comprehensive government strategy to ensure the security of the United States.
The report lists the most serious threats as: terrorist use of WMD against the U.S. or its allies; possession or manufacturing of WMD by Iran, Iraq, North Korea, or other unfriendly states; diversion of WMD-related weapons, technology, materials, and expertise from Russia; transfer of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, delivery means, and technology by China; and destabilizing consequences of WMD programs in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia.
Congress established the Commission to assess the current structure and organization of the Federal Government with regard to WMD proliferation and to make recommendations for improvements. Ultimately, the Commission found that the U.S. Government was not effectively organized to combat proliferation.
"A cardinal truth of government is that policy without proper organization is effectively no policy at all," stated the Commissioners. "If the Federal Government''s policy is to combat the threat posed by the spread of weapons of mass destruction, then the government must be organized effectively to do so. The large number of agencies involved in this particular effort makes organization especially critical."
The Commission''s recommendations promote an integrated national strategy with greater efficiency, accountability, and capability; better intelligence about the intentions and capabilities of proliferators; enhanced capability to take timely and effective operational actions; and a more transparent process for tracking resources, coordinating agency efforts, and evaluating progress.
The report states, "We live in a dangerous world where hostile forces will seek to exploit WMD to their advantage and to threaten us, especially since a new WMD threat can arise with little or no warning. It is precisely because WMD pose this grave danger to us that the threat must be addressed with grit and determination, but also with the most effective and efficient organization this country can muster."
The report of the commission is available on Senator Arlen Specter''s website: http: //www.senate.gov/~specter/11910book.pdf.