Nuclear terrorism: who's in charge?

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: WASHINGTON PULSE - Brief article

Despite dire warnings that the nation is vulnerable to terrorists possessing "suitcase nukes," the U.S. government has yet to present a cohesive plan to combat the threat, says a Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior researcher.

Government officials often remind us that nukes in the hands of terrorists are the greatest danger the nation faces, says Cindy Williams, principal research scientist at MIT. "Lots of money is spent on this. Yet, when you look at the processes for allocating the money, it's not clear that anybody but the president can make decisions on how to deal with this." The responsibility for nuclear counterterrorism is...