US unprepared for bio-terrorist attack

Jan 26, 2010, 16:40 GMT

Washington - The United States has not taken the necessary steps to guard against the threat of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, according to a damning report released Tuesday by a bipartisan commission.

The commission, appointed by Congress, gave the US government a failing F grade for its readiness to respond to a biological attack by al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups. Blame for failing to heed the warning signs was shared across the last three administrations.

'Nearly a decade after September 11, 2001, one year after our original report, and one month after the Christmas Day bombing attempt, the United States is failing to address several urgent threats, especially bioterrorism,' said former senator Bob Graham, who chairs the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.

The commission already warned last year that a terrorist attack somewhere in the world using weapons of mass destruction was 'more likely than not' by the end of 2013.

'Each of the last three Administrations has been slow to recognize and respond to the biothreat. But we no longer have the luxury of a slow learning curve, when we know al Qaeda is interested in bioweapons,' Graham said.

The latest report evaluated the government's response in 17 areas. It gave failing grades three: Response to bioterrorism; Congressional oversight of domestic security and intelligence; and the recruitment of staff for national security positions.