Pentagon not ready for attack response in U.S.: study
Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:55pm EST
By Kristin Roberts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon is not prepared to respond to a catastrophic chemical, biological or nuclear attack within the United States, placing Americans at risk, an independent panel reported to Congress on Thursday.
While the Defense Department conducts exhaustive planning for operations overseas, its planning for possible action inside the United States in response to attacks is inadequate, said the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves.
"We looked at their plans. They're totally unacceptable," said commission chairman Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine Corps major general.
"You couldn't move a Girl Scout unit with the kind of planning they're doing," Punaro said of plans drafted by U.S. Northern Command, the part of the military responsible for homeland defense.
While other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, are responsible for pieces of the government's response to an attack, the Defense Department is the only agency with the resources and capabilities to manage the overall response, the commission argued.<snip>
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN3132841520080131