Combating terrorism : observations on options to improve the federal response

818291PDFResearch PaperGAO-01-660TTerrorismCoordinationCountermeasuresFederal government agenciesImplementationNational securityRisk assessmentStrategic planningPolicyLaws and legislationUnited StatesUnited States. General Accounting OfficeUnited States. Government Accountability OfficeNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-Federal Standards and RulesUS Transportation CollectionThis is the statement of Raymond J. Decker, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives on combating terrorism. The testimony discusses three bills - H.R. 525, H.R. 1158, and H.R. 1292 - to change the overall leadership and management of programs to combat terrorism. In summary, the three bills vary in scope. H.R. 525 focuses on federal programs to prepare state and local governments for dealing with domestic terrorist acts. Both H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1292 focus on the larger issue of homeland security, which includes terrorism and additional threats such as military attacks. Based on the problems the General Accounting Office (GAO) has identified during 5 years of evaluations, it believes the following actions need to be taken: (1) create a single high-level federal focal point for policy and coordination, (2) develop a comprehensive threat and risk assessment, (3) develop a national strategy with a defined end state to measure progress against, (4) analyze and prioritize governmentwide programs and budgets to identify gaps and reduce duplication of effort, and (5) coordinate implementation among the different federal agencies