Summary

Combating Terrorism: Analysis of Federal Counterterrorist Exercises

NSIAD-99-157BR  June 25, 1999

Full Report (PDF, 60 pages)   

Terrorist attacks against U.S. personnel and interests domestically and abroad underscore the need for effective U.S. efforts to combat terrorism. U.S. policy and implementing guidelines call for robust, tailored, and rapidly deployable interagency teams to conduct well-coordinated and highly integrated operations. Federal agencies enhance their ability to respond to terrorist attacks by conducting exercises that train key personnel and test response teams. GAO recently briefed congressional staff on the numbers, the scenarios, and the participants involved in federal counterterrorism exercises done from June 1995 to June 1998. This report summarizes those briefings.

Subject Terms

Biological agents
Chemical agents
Combating terrorism
Counterterrorism
Crime prevention
Emergency preparedness
Explosives
Homeland security
Interagency relations
Mobilization
National defense operations
Nuclear weapons
Terrorism
Training utilization
Weapons of mass destruction
DOD Domestic Preparedness Program
FEMA Federal Response Plan