Countering Urban Terrorism in Russia and the United States Proceedings of a Workshop (2006) / Chapter Skim
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Report of U.S.-Russian Working Group on Transportation Vulnerabilities
Report of U.S.-Russian Working Group on Transportation Vulnerabilities
Pages 5-8
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From page 5... ...
Working group participants and guest speakers discussed technical, legal, social, and economic aspects of the problem and visited the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority headquarters and Maryland State Highway Administration control center to gain practical insights from personnel in the field. The working group concluded that responses to terrorist attacks must be based on robust capabilities to respond to natural and technogenic disasters that should already be in place at the local and national levels.
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From page 6... ...
Terrorist attacks in the transport environment can take a number of forms, further complicating the task of prevention and response. Among the forms are · vehicles used as weapons to deliver explosives or other materials against a target · attacks on a transport vehicle and its passengers · attacks on transportation facilities, such as railway or bus stations, where large numbers of passengers may congregate · attacks on transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, railbeds, or signal systems; these attacks could include cyberattacks on transportation control systems OVERVIEW OF GOVERNMENT EFFORTS While there is much to be done, governments are taking steps to develop a response to the risk of terrorism, using a variety of methods, including the application of technology, such as · investments in security systems -- systemwide improvements to track and protect the movements of goods and people · technology development -- new technologies to detect and, where possible, protect against explosives, chemicals, and other weapons in the urban setting · regulatory measures -- new rules for the movement of hazardous materials, handling of containers, information flows about movements, and so forth · improved response capability -- steps to train, equip, and improve the capabilities of first responders, transportation system employees, and the public as a means of mitigating the impact of terrorist actions
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From page 7... ...
The potential use of chemical substances as terrorist weapons represents a major paradigm shift, increasing their dangers and altering the existing understanding of allowable dose levels and consequences of exposure, and this shift requires a fundamental reconsideration of these issues. Social science research recognizes the difficulties in total prevention of terrorist incidents in the current environment.
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From page 8... ...
, and should incorporate continual review of the implications of new systems and improvements as they are put in place. Taking the next steps in interacademy cooperation will be facilitated by · continuation of periodic information exchange · cooperation in research · joint expert analysis in order to provide independent opinions regarding major, promising projects for the development of transport systems OBSERVATIONS Priorities for continued bilateral cooperation include · encouragement of research priorities as noted above · sharing of intelligence with local and regional agencies (local agencies and transport systems personnel need access at some level to information about potential threats)
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