Thirdly, modify existing law, or, if necessary, create new law to strengthen the legal regime against bioweapons. Fourth, coordinate legal authorities, first of all, among departments of the same governmental level, and, secondly, between the federal government and the state governments. Fifth, implement the legal authorities through adequate funding, personnel, training, technology, and equipment. Now, the five functions of law and the five objectives can be combined in a matrix that might be useful in structuring a legal strategy for strengthening our defenses against bioweapons. I attempt in the current slide a very, very crude evaluation of where we stand today in terms of fulfilling the five objectives for each basic function of law.
Green circles indicate that the objective has more or less been achieved.
Yellow circles indicate that incomplete progress has been made. And red circles indicate little or no progress. Undoubtedly, people with more expertise than I have would complete this matrix differently, with more or less pessimism than I have expressed. Or other experts would construct different kinds of analytical matrices that would be more sophisticated than my crude attempt here today. But it is precisely these kinds of debates and that kind of dialogue which are needed to advance a U.S. legal strategy against bioweapons.