Terrorism represents a profound threat to our communities.
Terrorists, whether representing foreign governments, religious fervor, or individual anger, have the capacity to harm our cities with explosives and weapons of mass destruction. The explosions at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, and Centennial Park in Atlanta dramatize the susceptibility of communities in the USA to a terrorist attack. The Sarin nerve gas attack in Japan, the stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons by Iraq, and the problems of controlling access to the former Soviet Union's highly radioactive military stores present special challenges to the medical community. Hospitals represent an invaluable community, regional, and state resource, and are an essential component of society's response to natural and man-made disasters. Hospitals provide the majority of medical care to victims after a disaster.