2013: Infected

Less than 48 hours after Obama announced his national security team, homeland security threats are already pouring in. CNN is reporting that the United States will face a biological terrorist attack by 2013. This cataclysmic event "would be 9/11 times 10 or [even] a hundred," according to former Florida Senator Bob Graham. These findings, released by The Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, highlight clear gaps in America’s current national security policy (see PDF of World at Risk report here). The Commission’s report is not restricted to biological agents. Nuclear proliferation remains a constant danger. Georgetown professor Phillip A. Karber notes that the question is not if a nuclear attack will happen, but rather when. The danger of accessible WMDs remains imminent. President-elect Obama and his incoming DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano must move more aggressively to reduce the possibility of a catastrophic attack on American soil.

Therefore, what can the next administration do to combat the spread and utilization of WMDs? The task is intimidating. Fortunately, Obama’s positive standing within the international community will catalyze these action items. Three quick fixes:

• First: strengthen US relations with our allies to ensure the proper containment and storage of loose WMDs.

• Second: focus on non-proliferation by reinforcing international treaties such as the NPT.

• Third: develop a proactive, rehearsed response.

While macabre, this last step is probably the most important when it comes to managing biological threats. Unlike chemical or nuclear sources, biological material can enter our porous boundaries virtually undetected. Transported in a live host (i.e. a person infected with a contagion such as Smallpox) or via a water source (i.e. an Ebola strain released into a public reservoir), a biological agent can rapidly impact an entire population. The threat is real. Graham notes, America must brace for impact. Many individuals "have the skills to convert a pathogen from benign, helpful purposes into an illicit, very harmful weapon." We must be one step ahead of these people, not once but 100 percent of the time.