Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — Stopping the transit of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and associated technologies is the United States’ top counterproliferation priority, according to a report recently sent to Congress (see GSN, June 23). The Counterproliferation Program Review Committee, composed of representatives from the Defense and Energy departments, the CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recommended boosting U.S. efforts to improve nuclear material detection capabilities, incorporating air interdiction efforts into the international Proliferation Security Initiative and improving maritime interdiction capabilities.

The report, which is produced and submitted to Congress yearly, is split into two sections. The main portion of the document — an overview of national strategies to combat weapons of mass destruction as well as complete recommendations — is classified.

However, an unclassified executive summary prepared in May prioritizes areas of counterproliferation activity within the Defense and Energy departments and the intelligence community, and gives an overall ranking of counterproliferation priorities as determined by the review committee.

The eight categories, in overall listing of importance, are: interdiction, elimination, threat reduction cooperation, passive defense, security cooperation and partner activities, offensive operations, active defense and consequence management.

In addition to the top overall priority, interdiction is identified as the top priority within the Defense Department. Standoff detection — the ability by the Pentagon to detect the presence of WMD and fissile materials at a distance — is cited as a shortfall in this area. The unclassified executive summary offers no details about existing capabilities.

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Homeland Security Department is responsible for spearheading and accelerating the nation’s research into more advanced nuclear detectors. Within a battlefield context such nuclear detection falls under the aegis of the Defense Department (see GSN, Aug. 3).

For the intelligence community, the report lists operations to locate, lock down, disable or destroy WMD programs run by either a state or a terrorist group as the top priority.

The review committee recommended developing capabilities to destroy the weapons at the sites. The report indicates adequate destruction capabilities do not presently exist.

The ability of intelligence agencies to monitor wide areas persistently and at long range was also cited as a shortfall, as was the capability to “secure and exploit” WMD sites.

The report lists “threat reduction cooperation” — efforts undertaken with the cooperation of a host nation to reduce, secure or dismantle WMD programs or stockpiles — as the top priority for the Energy Department.

The committee indicated WMD detection capabilities at border crossings require improvement, along with capabilities to detect WMD programs and monitor their dismantlement.

The report also recommended having a committee or group coordinate U.S. threat reduction efforts across various agencies and the development of more discriminating and sensitive radiation sensors at key transportation centers (see GSN, July 17).

Within “active defense,” a category described as military measures to prevent, deter or defeat the delivery of weapons of mass destruction, the committee recommended continuing to fully fund the ballistic missile defense program. Current challenges, according to the report, include countering ballistic missiles in the boost phase of flight and cruise missile in all phases (see GSN, June 26).