http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010504/pl/bush_terrorism_1.html

Friday May 4 11:21 PM ET

Bush to Create New Terrorism Office

By CHRISTOPHER NEWTON, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush (news - web sites) has drafted an executive order that would create an umbrella office on terrorism to coordinate the government's response to any biological, chemical or nuclear attack, a congressional source familiar with the plan said Friday night.

The office would exist under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (news - web sites), and Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) would oversee the creation of a national terrorism response plan, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The office would be at the helm of more than 40 federal agencies that provide emergency services and personnel.

Currently, the Justice Department (news - web sites) has responsibility for reacting to a terrorist attack.

White House officials declined to comment on draft order, first reported by NBC News.

Bush's plan is separate from legislative efforts in Congress to reorganize the nation's anti-terrorism response. The Senate Intelligence Committee is holding hearings on the matter next week. Several emergency management agencies will testify.

Andrea Andrews, a spokeswoman for Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said the president's plan is a ``step in the right direction.''

``There is a consensus that something that needs to be done to coordinate all the agencies that have jurisdiction in this area,'' Andrews said.

The federal government has received several indicators that the nation is not prepared to deal with the calamity created by a terrorist attack.

Last spring, a secret exercise to determine how a medium-sized city would cope after a terrorist detonation of a weapon of mass destruction showed that Cincinnati's hospitals, police and other services were woefully unprepared for such an attack.

The findings were presented to then-Attorney General Janet Reno (news - web sites), then- Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre and senior FBI (news - web sites) officials at two sessions at the Pentagon (news - web sites). They immediately ordered the formation of interagency working groups to study the problems that might arise from a major terrorist attack.

The resulting study and other government studies suggested that the nation's emergency groups were too splintered to respond to a problem quickly.

Sen. John Warner (news - bio - voting record), R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (news - web sites), said Friday that the nation's cities would be overwhelmed by the probable injuries.

``Supposing someone used one of these things (bio-weapon) and we required hospitalization of 1,000 people, what community has got the ability to put together quickly the medical teams, the other equipment needed to take care of 1,000 people?,'' Warner said at a meeting Friday.

``We are unprepared, and we are determined here in the Senate to bring together, all of us, put our minds to work with those in the administration and see what we can do to prepare America.''

-- (news@of.note), May 05, 2001

Answers

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010505/ts/bush_response_dc_1.html

Saturday May 5 1:24 PM ET

White House Unifying Response to Extremist Attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Various arms of the U.S. government are working to better integrate the way they respond to extremist attacks in the United States, the White House said on Saturday.

A White House spokeswoman would not confirm media reports that President Bush (news - web sites) was planning to create an office to coordinate the government's response to such attacks, but said there was an effort underway to set up a unified plan of response.

``Excellent progress is being made by the many federal departments and agencies involved in domestic preparedness efforts, however much more can be done to maximize effectiveness and to better integrate these efforts,'' the spokeswoman said.

She said discussions have been underway for several months between Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), the National Security Council, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (news - web sites) (FEMA), Departments of Justice, Defense and several other agencies to find ways to improve coordination.

``I am not in the position to make an announcement today about the shape of (any initiative),'' the spokeswoman said. ``The administration is committed to working with Congress on this important national security matter.''

Citing a draft executive order it had obtained, NBC News reported on Friday night that Bush would establish an Office of National Preparedness within FEMA to coordinate all responses to chemical, biological or nuclear attacks, involving more than 40 agencies.

Bush will put Cheney in charge of planning a new national response to attacks, it said.

The Justice Department (news - web sites) is currently responsible for coordinating U.S. disaster planning.

The new plan was said to come in response to complaints from mayors, governors and member of Congress that money and time were being wasted.

NBC cited top administration officials as saying that after six years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars, America remains vulnerable to a disaster caused by an attack.

A government report issued in May 2000 showed annual spending for combating terrorism came to $9.3 billion, the spokeswoman said. A large portion -- more than $5 billion -- went to the national security community's terrorism-related force protection efforts.

-- (news@of.note), May 05, 2001.

after six years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars, America remains vulnerable to a disaster caused by all of our light bulbs burning out at the same time.

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), May 06, 2001.