Congressional Commission On The Prevention Of Wmd Proliferation And Terrorism

Congressional Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism INSS Insight No. 84, December 15, 2008 Friedman, David According to the US Congressional Commission headed by Senator Bob Graham, by 2013 it is likely that weapons of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world. In order to prevent or minimize this concrete danger, it is necessary for the global community to act with urgency and determination. The Commission, appointed in 2007, was asked to evaluate the complete range of non-conventional threats and submit its findings and recommendations. Already at the outset of its work, however, the commission decided to focus on the two threats that it considered most serious: nuclear and biological weapons proliferation and terrorism. A key finding of the Commission was that terrorist organizations are more likely to obtain and use biological weapons than nuclear weapons. While progress in recent years in the life sciences and biotechnology has led to breakthroughs in medicine and agriculture, it also greatly increases the availability of dangerous biological elements and technologies. These can be used to develop and manufacture biological weapons, which might then fall into the hands of terrorist groups. The Commission thus urged the US government to be much more active in preventing the proliferation of biological weapons and their components. Nuclear capabilities have spread among additional countries (Iran, North Korea), and countries possessing nuclear weapons have decided to reinforce their existing arsenals. These are particularly alarming developments and heighten the possibility that an escalating military crisis will include nuclear weapons. Furthermore, the meager security measures taken by the nuclear newcomers to protect their nuclear materials increases the possibility of nuclear weapons, fissile materials, weapons components, or technologies falling into the hands of terrorists. Regarding the nuclear threat, the US government has invested major efforts on several fronts to prevent fissile materials from reaching terrorist hands. Since the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax envelopes attacks soon after, the US government has also begun to make serious preparations for dealing with the biological threat. According to the Commission, however, the biological problem has earned inadequate attention. The Commission thus recommended that enhanced efforts be invested in this challenge; only assigning a high priority to the prevention of biological terrorism can lead to a reduction of the chances of such an attack. The Commission noted that professionals dealing with nuclear affairs in research institutions, industry, and so on realized after Hiroshima that it had to implement conditions of control, departmentalization, and even secrecy. In the biological sphere, however, no such process occurred, and the bio-security culture has not matched the emergence of biological threats and risks. It is therefore crucial for the life sciences community in academia, hospitals, research institutions, and industry to make an effort to raise awareness of the current risks and the issue of biological security. The Commission’s recommendations for prevention of biological proliferation and terrorism are twofold. On the national level, the report called on the US government to evaluate fully the security risks in holding dangerous disease elements; develop a national strategy for improving identification and diagnostic capabilities for known biological generators; encourage awareness and education in biological security among the life sciences community; and bolster the existing capabilities for reducing the number of casualties in the event of a biological attack.

The government is also asked to make a similar effort on the global level, i.e., promote and improve biological security in both developing countries and countries with developed biotechnological industries. Regional and global epidemiological monitoring systems should be supported and upgraded, and a new action program proposed for making the Biological Weapons Convention more effective, especially in prevention of possible use by terrorist organizations. The Commission urged the United States to seek global cooperation for a series of measures to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and reinforce the vision of a nuclear weapons-free world, principally by heightening the effectiveness and enforcement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It recommended that the next administration give supreme priority to stopping the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea and Iran. In the case of Iran, it is essential that there be a total and permanent halt to all efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities. If the new administration chooses to try to stop these programs through direct diplomatic contacts, it must do so from a position of strength, with an understanding of the gains if the talks succeed and Iran abandons its programs for obtaining nuclear weapons, and the heavy price it will pay if it fails to do so. These diplomatic contacts must be supported by a credible threat of direct action if the efforts fail. The Commission also examined closely the role of Pakistan and Russia. It found that Pakistan constitutes a dangerous point of contact between terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. The incoming president must therefore devote special attention to Pakistan, and implement a comprehensive policy in cooperation with Pakistan itself and other countries. This policy must be based on an uprooting of terrorism from Pakistan through military, economic, and diplomatic means; security of biological and nuclear materials; combat and defeat of extremist ideology; and prevention of a nuclear arms race in Asia. The Commission recommended that the new administration work in cooperation with Russia to implementing initiatives for preventing the proliferation and use of weapons of mass destruction and preventing their acquisition by terrorists Israel supports and backs the global effort spearheaded by the United States to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and in particular the risk of their use by terrorist groups. Like the US, Israel has also amplified its efforts in the field following the events of 9/11. For example, the president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the head of the National Security Council appointed a steering committee of experts in biology and law to examine the subject of biological security in research organs in Israel, and to formulate recommendations. The committee found that in order to prevent a possible leak of biological disease generators and sensitive technologies to terrorist groups, a supervision and control apparatus must be established in law. The steering committee also recommended a national program for bolstering the awareness and education of the community dealing in the life sciences on the issue of biological security. More recently, the Knesset adopted the steering committee’s recommendations into law as part of the recently passed Biological Disease Generators Research Law (2008).. There can be no doubt that the committee’s recommendations and the new law will make an important contribution to biological security. Nevertheless, much remains to be done. Israel must continue to act on the issue of preventing proliferation in the spirit of the American commission’s recommendations, some of which are relevant to Israel and require close international cooperation.