Countering Terrorism : Dimensions of Preparedness

by Arnold M. Howitt and Robyn L. Pangi (Eds.)

• ISBN13: 9780262083249
• ISBN10: 0262083248
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-09-28
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

The United States now knows that it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. In Countering Terrorism, experts from such disparate fields as medicine, law, public policy, and international security discuss institutional changes the country must make to protect against future attacks. In these essays, they argue that terrorism preparedness is not just a federal concern, but one that requires integrated efforts across federal, state, and local governments. The authors focus on new threats-biological attacks, "dirty bombs" containing radioactive materials, and "cyberattacks" that would disrupt the computer networks we rely on for communication, banking, and commerce-and argue that US institutions must make fundamental changes to protect against them. They discuss not only the needed reorganization of government agencies but such institutional issues as establishing legal jurisdiction to respond to new threats, preparing health workers for attacks involving mass casualties, and equipping police, fire, and other emergency workers with interoperable communications systems. The final essays examine how Israel, Japan, and the United Kingdom have dealt with domestic terrorism, and what the United States can learn from their examples.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Strategies and Institutions
The Architecture of Government in the Face of Terrorism	p. 17
Intergovernmental Challenges of Combatting Terrorism	p. 37
Dealing with Terrorism after September 11, 2001: An Overview	p. 57
Lessons of the "War" on Drugs for the "War" on Terrorism	p. 73
Emerging Threats
Biological Terrorism: Understanding the Threat and America's Response	p. 97
Nuclear Terrorism: Risks, Consequences, and Response	p. 175
Covert Biological Weapons Attacks against Agricultural Targets: Assessing the Impact against U.S. Agriculture	p. 195
Cyber Attacks: Protecting America's Security against Digital Threats	p. 219
Capacity Building
U.S. Preparations for Biological Terrorism: Legal Limitations and the Need for Planning	p. 253
Ambulances to Nowhere: America's Critical Shortfall in Medical Preparedness for Catastrophic Terrorism	p. 283
Emergency Communications: The Quest for Interoperability in the United States and Europe	p. 299
Lessons Learned from International Cases
Israel's Preparedness for High Consequence Terrorism	p. 345
Consequence Management in the 1995 Sarin Attacks on the Japanese Subway System	p. 371
Civil Liberties, Terrorism, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from the United Kingdom	p. 411
About the Authors	p. 447
Index	p. 459
About the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs	p. 480
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