Further Consolidation Of US Chemical Attack Defenses Would Improve Protection - Report

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should develop a strategy to further consolidate and better manage fragmented defenses against chemical weapons attacks by terrorists, the General Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released on Friday.

"We found that DHS recently consolidated some of its chemical defense programs into a new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office," a press release summarizing the report said. "But several agency [DHS] components, including Customs and Border Protection and the US Coast Guard, still run their own programs.

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However, the GAO said that it is too early to tell the extent to which the new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office will enhance the integration of DHS's chemical defense programs and activities.

Without further consolidation and coordination, DHS faces a risk of missing opportunities to leverage resources in the event of a chemical attack, the release added.