This too should be addressed in the new strategic concept. NATO should seek a coordinated response. The senior civil emergency planning committee is an existing structure that could assume a coordinating role. The threat of terrorism, especially involving chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, poses yet another challenge for the future. NATO has already focused significant amounts of time and money to address the terrorist threat.
Terrorism demands close cooperation with all of our partners.
The results of just a single terrorist attack if it involves chemical and biological weapons justify our efforts to combat this scourge. We must prepare now so that when a horrific event does occur we do not act in haste and jeopardize the civil liberties we cherish in our democracies. I have only scratched the surface in discussing what I view as the threats of the future. You will soon hear from our undersecretary for acquisition and technology, Jacques Gansler, the director of our ballistic missile defense office, Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles, and the director of our defense special weapons agency, Maj. Gen. Gary Curtin.