Commission report: U.S. can expect nuclear or bioterror attack by 2013

AP: A report of the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism warned that the U.S. will face an attack using nuclear or biological weapons by the year 2013, about four years from now.

As it stands, the report accounts that terrorist groups currently lack the scientific or technical ability to create weapons out of nuclear bombs or pathogens but will solve this issue once they gain knowledge from a scientist willing and able to share expertise. View story here.

Read my previous post here on the risks to Pakistan’s nuclear facilities as well as the decrease in security around rogue scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, currently under house arrest.

Read my posts here on the need for better security at U.S. labs.

Update: ABC News reports that 15,000 troops are to be stationed inside the U.S. by 2011, “ready to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents.” View here.

New report: nuclear terrorism risk is “unacceptably high”

A new report issued by Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs entitled, “Securing the Bomb 2008” asserts that while there has been progress, the potential for terrorists to acquire a nuclear bomb is still “unacceptably high.” View full story here.

One of the many issues the study highlights is that security at nuclear installations is faulty and poor. See my related post(s) here on the need for better security at our national labs.

(via NationalTerrorAlert.com)

GAO Report: 2 U.S. labs handling deadly toxins are unsecure

A recent GAO report has revealed that two unnamed U.S. labs doing research on deadly toxins don’t have satisfactory security systems. View the GAO report here. These are some of the latest in an increasing number of reported security weakness in high-risk U.S. labs.

See my earlier post on Los Alamos National Lab and the need for better homeland security resources and funding, here.

DHS to ease rules on counterterror grants to state/local agencies

DHS announced last week they were easing rules and would grant funds earmarked for counter terrorism to state and local agencies more readily. About time. View story here.

This dovetails with my post about Los Alamos Labs and an apparent lack of counter terrorism resources and funds to New Mexico, where they are much needed.

Security lapses continue at Los Alamos National Lab

A GAO report, requested by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, cited “persistent, systemic security problems” at the National Laboratory in New Mexico, U.S.A. (full story here). There have been substantial cuts to the funding of New Mexico’s nuclear labs in part because of these repeated security breaches at Los Alamos AND Sandia labs (see the Albuquerque Tribune story, here).

Why isn’t there a larger investment of resources / funding in protecting New Mexico by either state or federal Homeland Security? New Mexico is a border state and it hosts two major national labs as well as military bases and installations, including White Sands Missile Range.