Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction : Defending the U. S. Homeland

There is a wide spectrum of potential threats to the U.S. homeland that do not involve overt attacks by states using long-range missiles or conventional military forces. Such threats include covert attacks by state actors, state use of proxies, independent terrorist and extremist attacks by foreign groups or individuals, and independent terrorist and extremist attacks by residents of the United States. These threats are currently limited in scope and frequency, but are emerging as potentially significant issues for future U.S. security. In this comprehensive work, Cordesman argues that new threats require new thinking, and offers a range of recommendations, from expanding the understanding of what constitutes a threat and bolstering Homeland defense measures, to bettering resource allocation and improving intelligence gathering and analysis.No pattern of actual attacks on U.S. territory has yet emerged that provides a clear basis for predicting how serious any given form of attack might be in the future, what means of attack might be used, or how lethal new forms of attack might be. As a result, there is a major ongoing debate over the seriousness of the threat and how the U.S. government should react. This work is an invaluable contribution to that debate. New Threats Require New Thinking. State Attacks Involving Long-range Missiles Or Conventional Military Forces Are Not The Only Threat To The U.s. Homeland. Covert Attacks By State Actors, State Use Of Proxies, Independent Terrorist And Extremist Attacks By Foreign Groups Or Individuals--and Even By Residents Of The United States--are Significant Issues For Future U.s. Security. In This Comprehensive Work, Cordesman Offers A Range Of Recommendations, From Reevaluating What Constitutes A Threat And Bolstering Homeland Defense Measures, To Improving Resource Allocation And Sharpening Intelligence. Annotation. Cordesman (middle East Program, Center For Strategic And International Studies) Argues That Homeland Defense Must Respond To A Constantly Changing Threat, And Especially To The Kind That May Be Impossible To Predict, And Which May Emerge As A Pattern Of Attack In The Years To Come. He Discusses Such Aspects As Assessing Risks, Prioritizing Threats, Types Of Attacks, Creating A Homeland Defense Capability, And Federal Cooperation. He Does Not Provide An Index. Changing Face Of Asymmetric Warfare And Terrorism -- Risk Assessment : Planning For Non-patterns And Potential Risk -- Threat Prioritization : Seeking To Identify Current And Future Threats -- Ctypes Of Attack : Determining Future Methods Of Attack And The Needed Response -- Threat Assessment And Prioritization : Identifying Threats -- U.s. Government Efforts To Create A Homeland Defense Capability -- Federal Efforts By Department And Agency -- Federal, State, And Local Cooperation -- How Other Nations Deal With These Threats -- Lessons From Recent Major Commissions On Terrorism -- Conclusions And Recommendations. Anthony H. Cordesman. Published In Cooperation With The Center For Strategic And International Studies. Includes Bibliographical References. Cordesman argues that new threats such as covert, terrorist and extremist attacks, require new thinking and offers a range of recommendations, from expanding the understanding of what constitutes a threat to bettering resource allocation and improving intelligence gathering and analysis. The tragic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 have made it all too clear that wars do not have to be declared and threats do not have to be overt.