The Role of Science and Technology in Homeland Security and Countering Terrorism: Overview of Key Activities at the National Academies1
Wm. A. Wulf
National Academy of Engineering
PREFACE
This document provides an overview of National Academies’ activities that are relevant to various aspects of homeland security and countering terrorism, particularly catastrophic acts of terrorism. A longer report summarizes a number of individual reports; here we only list their titles.
While much of the National Academies’ work—as well as interest in that work—has occurred since September 11, 2001, this paper includes relevant studies and other activities many years before that infamous date. This summary also identifies activities other than studies resulting in academy reports, such as workshops, roundtables, and colloquia that have been and are currently being carried out across the National Academies in this area. Finally, a number of activities in the advanced planning stages are identified.
Many of these activities were spawned directly or indirectly by the delivery of the June 2002 National Academies report, Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism.2
This summary is not exhaustive, especially as to planning efforts. However, it is extensive, including many of the past, present, and planned efforts across the National Academies in these important areas.
INTRODUCTION
The horrific events of September 11, 2001, overshadowed much in all of our lives for many months following. Many in the science and technology community have held that while advanced technology often is used as an instrument of terrorism, technological tools can also be a vital source of prevention and deterrence of, and defense against, acts and agents of terrorism.
The National Academies responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in several ways. First, the presidents of the National Academies at the time, including National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Bruce Alberts,3 National Academy of Engineering (NAE) President Wm. A.Wulf, and Institute of Medicine (IOM) President Kenneth Shine,4 convened a meeting of leaders from the science, technology, and health care communities with leading former government officials to consider initiatives that might be carried out by the National Academies that would benefit the nation. This meeting, the Presidents’ Meeting on Countering Terrorism, was convened on September 26, 2001, just two weeks after the terrorist attacks.
A number of key activities resulted from the presidents’ meeting, the most prominent of which was the initiation of a major National Academies’ fast-track study, A Science and Technology Agenda for Countering Terrorism, aimed at defining very quickly (within six months) a research agenda for enhancing the role of science and technology in countering terrorism in the United States. That study resulted in the previously mentioned landmark report, Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism. That report was used prominently in developing the legislation establishing the mission, structure, and other features of the Science and Technology Directorate in what was to become the U.S. cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As the U.S. government began to implement various measures for homeland security, the implications for the scientific and engineering community became clearer, and in October 2002 the presidents of the National Academies issued a statement on behalf of the National Academies, “Science and Security in an Age of Terrorism.”5
In addition, as federal agencies began reorganizing activities in waging the war on terrorism, including the 22 agencies that would ultimately comprise DHS, the new focus in government precipitated a variety of other activities across the National Academies. These complemented the significant number of relevant
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Bruce Alberts’ term as NAS president was from July 1, 1993–June 30, 2005, and he was succeeded by Ralph J. Cicerone on July 1, 2005. |
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Kenneth Shine’s term as IOM president concluded on June 30, 2002, and former Harvard University Provost Harvey Fineberg was appointed the IOM’s seventh president, beginning a six-year term on July 1, 2002. |
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Available on the National Academies Web site: www.nationalacademies.org. |
National Research Council (NRC) projects that predated the events of September 11, 2001, including completed reports and work under way. As a result, there is now a very substantial portfolio of relevant products, projects, and other activities, including the continuing initiation of new work to aid the nation’s response to the threat of catastrophic terrorism.
This document summarizes the current portfolio of completed reports, other products, current projects, projects in preparation, and other efforts in support of government agencies and other sponsors.
COMPLETED REPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
Some of the activities initiated at the National Academies in recent years have been aimed at providing immediate near-term advice to the government, some refocused ongoing efforts to better meet the needs of federal agencies after September 11, 2001, and some were aimed at helping design a long-term agenda for the role of science and technology in countering catastrophic terrorism. The list is long and growing.
A Science and Technology Agenda for Countering Terrorism
This keystone project, noted earlier, initiated in the weeks following September 11, 2001, was aimed at helping the federal government, and more specifically the Executive Office of the President through the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Office of Homeland Security, to use effectively the nation’s and the world’s scientific and technical community in a timely response to the threat of catastrophic terrorism. A committee of distinguished scientists and engineers, supported by similarly distinguished panels, developed an integrated science and technology program plan and research strategy.
In all, 164 distinguished and knowledgeable individuals, comprising 24 committee members, 94 members of the supporting panels, and 46 expert reviewers, contributed to the effort, which was sponsored entirely by internal resources from the National Academies. The final report, Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism, was released in June 2002. The report provides a framework for the application of science and technology for combating terrorism and proposes research agendas in nine key domains: biological; chemical; nuclear and radiological; information technology; transportation; energy facilities, cities, and fixed infrastructure; behavioral, social, and institutional issues; robotics; and systems analysis and engineering.
Through its influence on the programs and planning within government agencies that have responsibilities for homeland security and countering terrorism, this report has provided the context for many of the follow-on efforts described in this document.
Near-term Assistance to the U.S. Government
To provide timely assistance on those urgent topics where the government needs immediate assistance, the National Academies initiated a new kind of activity. The National Academies’ management and staff called upon and continue to call upon a formidable network of scientific, engineering, and health expertise to arrange one-day meetings between scientific experts and government representatives in areas where urgent knowledge was being sought by government agencies. Although no written reports have been produced and no formal advice is provided, the dialogue has proved to be very beneficial to federal agencies, especially the interagency Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) on counterterrorism, the intelligence community, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Postal Service, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The meetings arranged to date in the areas of homeland security and countering terrorism include the following agencies and topics:
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Postal Service on sanitizing the mail (November 14, 2001)
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FAA on analyzing human factors for the FAA’s sky marshal program (December 5–6, 2001)
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DOJ on analyzing the anthrax-infected letter to Senator Leahy (December 7, 2001)
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TSWG on surveying the state of the art on biological and chemical forensics (December 11, 2001)
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TSWG on surveying the state of the art on biological and chemical decontamination (December 14, 2001)
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TSWG on through-structure imaging and explosives detection (March 26, 2002)
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GAO on biometric identification (April 25–26, 2002) and on privacy concerns and policy implications of new biometric technologies (May 16–17, 2002)
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Federal Bureau of Investigation on high-performance computing (September 4–5, 2002)
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GAO on assessment of cybersecurity technologies for critical infrastructure protection (October 1–2, 2003)
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GAO on assessment of DHS/Transportation Security Administration (TSA) transportation security research and development (March 2, 2004)
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GAO on security efforts for federal real property (March 4–5, 2004)
Some of these efforts have led to more extensive National Academies projects.
Reports Available from the National Academies Press
In response to requests by government agencies, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine have initiated new activities and called upon a substantial body of work already completed. Many of these requests and responses are designed to result in traditional NRC or IOM committee reports. The following compilation is a collection of reports and other documents relevant to the subjects of homeland security and countering terrorism that are available from the National Academies Press.6 The documents are grouped in general chronological order, but substantively span the following five principal areas, although many of these reports (and other activities) cover more than one topic area. The principal areas covered are the following:
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critical infrastructure protection
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detection and mitigation of catastrophic terrorist threats, including radiological and nuclear, chemical, biological, and explosives
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border and transportation security
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information analysis, management, and infrastructure protection
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threat and vulnerability, testing, and assessment, including addressing the root causes of terrorism, coping with new risks, emergency preparedness and response, and international issues
Reports Published in 2004
Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Evidence
Distribution and Administration of Potassium Iodide in the Event of a Nuclear Incident
Advanced Energetic Materials
Improving the Characterization Program for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Bound for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism
University Research Centers of Excellence for Homeland Security: Summary Report of a Workshop
The Mathematical Sciences’ Role in Homeland Security: Proceedings of a Workshop
Advancing Prion Science: Guidance for the National Prion Research Program
Summary of the Power Systems Workshop on Nanotechnology for the Intelligence Community: October 9-10, 2003, Washington, D.C.
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Either in printed form from the National Academies Press or the Joseph Henry Press, or available on the National Academies Press Web site at http://www.nap.edu. The Terrorism and Security Collection may be viewed at http://www.nap.edu/collections/terror/index/html. |
Overcoming Impediments to U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Nonproliferation: Report of a Joint Workshop
Terrorism—Reducing Vulnerabilities and Improving Responses: Proceedings of a U.S.-Russian Workshop
Reports Published in 2003
Review of EPA Homeland Security Efforts: Safe Buildings Program Research Implementation Plan
A Review of the EPA Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan: Parts I and II
Assuring the Safety of the Pentagon Mail: Letter Report
Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism: A Public Health Strategy
Cybersecurity of Freight Information Systems: A Scoping Study—Special Report 274
Who Goes There? Authentication Through the Lens of Privacy
An Assessment of Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology
Science and Technology for Army Homeland Security: Report I
ISC Security Design Criteria for New Federal Office Buildings and Major Modernization Projects: A Review and Commentary
Tracking and Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion of Hazardous Material Releases: Implications for Homeland Security
Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and the Law: An Overview of Key Issues
The Internet Under Crisis Conditions: Learning from September 11
Information Technology for Counterterrorism: Immediate Actions and Future Possibilities
National Security and Homeland Defense: Challenges for the Chemical Sciences in the 21st Century
Microbial Threats to Health: Emergence, Detection, and Response
Accelerating the Research, Development, and Acquisition of Medical Countermeasures Against Biological Warfare Agents: Interim Report
Advancing Prion Science: Guidance for the National Prion Research Program—Interim Report
Reports Published in 2002
Countering Agricultural Bioterrorism
Cybersecurity Today and Tomorrow: Pay Now or Pay Later
IDs—Not That Easy: Questions About Nationwide Identity Systems
Countering Terrorism: Lessons Learned from Natural and Technological Disasters
Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities: Workshop Summary
Protecting Our Forces: Improving Vaccine Acquisition and Availability in the U.S. Military
The Anthrax Vaccine: Is It Safe? Does It Work?
Countering Bioterrorism: The Role of Science and Technology
An Assessment of the CDC Anthrax Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Research Program
Summary—Assessment of Technologies Deployed to Improve Aviation Security: Second Report: Progress Toward Objectives
Preparing for Terrorism: Tools for Evaluating the Metropolitan Medical Response System Program
Discouraging Terrorism: Some Implications of 9/11
High-Impact Terrorism: Proceedings of a Russian-American Workshop
Summary—Assessment of the Practicality of Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis for Aviation Security
2001-2002 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory7
Letter Report of the Committee on Assessment of Technologies Deployed to Improve Aviation
Reports Published in 2000 and 2001
Protecting People and Buildings from Terrorism: Technology Transfer for Blast-effects Mitigation
Firepower in the Lab: Automation in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases and Bioterrorism
Summary of Discussions at a Planning Meeting on Cyber-Security and the Insider Threat to Classified Information
Blast Mitigation for Structures: 1999 Status Report on the DTRA/TSWG Program
Reports Published Before 2000
Improving Surface Transportation Security: A Research and Development Strategy, 1999
Fire- and Smoke-Resistant Interior Materials for Commercial Transport Aircraft, 1995
Improved Fire- and Smoke-Resistant Materials for Commercial Aircraft Interiors: A Proceedings, 1995
New Materials for Next-Generation Commercial Transports, 1996
Protecting Buildings from Bomb Damage: Transfer of Blast-Effects Mitigation Technologies from Military to Civilian Applications, 1995
Use of Underground Facilities to Protect Critical Infrastructures: Summary of a Workshop, 1998
Airline Passenger Security Screening: New Technologies and Implementation Issues, 1996
Black and Smokeless Powders: Technologies for Finding Bombs and the Bomb Makers, 1998
Chemical and Biological Terrorism: Research and Development to Improve Civilian Medical Response, 1999
Configuration Management and Performance Verification of Explosives-Detection Systems, 1998
Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings: An Integrated National Strategy for Marking, Tagging, Rendering Inert, and Licensing Explosives and Their Precursors, 1998
Detection of Explosives for Commercial Aviation Security, 1993
The Practicality of Pulsed Fast Neutron Transmission Spectroscopy for Aviation Security, 1999
Balancing Scientific Openness and National Security Controls at the Nuclear Weapons Laboratories, 1999
Computers at Risk: Safe Computing in the Information Age, 1991
Computing and Communications in the Extreme: Research for Crisis Management and Other Applications, 1996
Cryptography’s Role in Securing the Information Society, 1996
Realizing the Potential of C4I: Fundamental Challenges, 1999
Summary of a Workshop on Information Technology Research for Crisis Management, 1999
Trust in Cyberspace, 1999
Assessment of Future Scientific Needs for Live Variola Virus, 1999
Assessment of Technologies Deployed to Improve Aviation Security: First Report, 1999
Aviation Fuels with Improved Fire Safety: A Proceedings, 1997
Fluid Resuscitation: State of the Science for Treating Combat Casualties and Civilian Injuries, 1999
Improving Civilian Medical Response to Chemical or Biological Terrorist Incidents: Interim Report on Current Capabilities, 1998
Proliferation Concerns: Assessing U.S. Efforts to Help Contain Nuclear and Other Dangerous Materials and Technologies in the Former Soviet Union, 1997
Protecting Nuclear Weapons Material in Russia, 1999
The Protection of Federal Office Buildings Against Terrorism, 1988
Other Projects
Safety of the Nation’s Water Supplies
Forum on How Natural Disaster Research Can Inform the Response to Terrorism
Interdependent Vulnerabilities for Critical Infrastructure Protection
Balancing National Security and Open Scientific Communication: Implications of September 11 for the Research University
General Education of the Media and Public on Terrorism Vulnerabilities and Responses
Forum on Microbial Threats
IOM Council Statement on Vaccine Development
Scientific Openness and National Security
Additional International Projects
International Workshop on Implications of Trends in Chemical Science and Technology for Chemical Weapons and Chemical Terrorism
Facilitating International Scientific Meetings in the United States
Monitoring Foreign Students
U.S. Government Efforts/Needs to Restrict Dissemination of Data in Light of New National Security Concerns
ONGOING NATIONAL ACADEMIES ACTIVITIES
A wide range of traditional NRC/IOM studies and other activities are under way in the general area of counterterrorism. The following summarizes many of those activities.
Active Committees and Reports in Preparation
Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense: C4ISR-Phase II
An Assessment of Naval Forces’ Defense Capabilities Against Chemical and Biological Warfare Threats
Improving Cybersecurity Research in the United States
U.S. Government Research and Development in Support of Cyberassurance for the Critical Infrastructure of the United States
Nanotechnology for the Intelligence Community
Review of Testing and Evaluation Methodology for Biological Point Detectors
Assessment of Technologies Deployed to Improve Transportation Security
Educational Paradigms for Homeland Security
Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage
Establishing Priorities for U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Countering Radiological Terrorism
Review of Research Proposals for Cooperation with Former Soviet Biological Weapons Personnel and Institutes
Future Contributions of the Biosciences to Public Health, Agriculture, Basic Research, Counterterrorism, and Nonproliferation Activities in Russia
Roundtable on Scientific Communication and National Security
Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Workshop to Counter Terrorism
Protection, Control, and Accounting of Nuclear Materials: International Challenges and National Programs—Workshop Summary
Advances in Technology and the Prevention of Their Application to Next Generation Biowarfare Threats
Other Activities Under Way or in Advanced Planning Stages
In addition to traditional NRC studies and related program initiation activities, many units across the National Academies have initiated other kinds of activities relevant to the general area of countering terrorism. The follow summarizes some of those projects.
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The News Media and First Response
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Transportation Research Board (TRB) Cooperative Research Programs
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National Cooperative Highway Research Program Security Projects
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Transportation Security
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A State DOT Field Personnel Security Manual
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Methods for Determining Transportation and Economic Consequences of Terrorist Attacks
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Secure Communication Infrastructure
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Emergency Traffic Operations Management
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Transportation Response Options: Scenarios of Infectious Disease, Biological Agents, Chemical, Radiological, or Nuclear Exposure
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Bridge/Tunnel/Highway Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment Workshops
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Transit Cooperative Research Program Security Projects
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A Guide to Public Transportation Security Resources
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Prevention and Mitigation
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Security-related Training and Customer Communications: Lessons Learned from September 11 by Transportation Providers
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Intrusion Detection for Public Transportation Facilities
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Emergency Response Mobilization Strategies and Guidelines for Transit
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Use of Portable Explosive Detection Devices
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Robotic Devices
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Communication of Threats: A Guide
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Transit Security Use of Dogs: A Guide
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, TRB initiated a number of new activities and expanded existing activities aimed at providing tools to assist state, local, and national transportation agencies in deterring, preventing, detecting, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from terrorist attacks. These tools include the following:
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TRB Transportation Security Web site
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Transportation Security
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A Guide to Updating Highway Emergency Response Plans for Terrorist Incidents
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A Guide to Highway Vulnerability Assessment for Critical Asset Identification and Protection
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Methods for Improving Transit Security
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Emergency Preparedness for Transit Terrorism
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Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation for Transit Systems
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Public Transportation Security, Volume 1: Communication of Threats
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Future Tools and Resources
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TRB Program Initiation Activities
PROSPECTIVE ACTIVITIES: NRC/IOM STUDIES AND OTHER WORKSHOPS, MEETINGS, AND PROJECTS IN PLANNING STAGES
Reducing the Physical and Economic Vulnerability of the United States to Threats to the Chemical Supply Chain
Joint Committee on U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Nonproliferation
Response to Global Terrorism: Continuation of the U.S.-Russian Interacademy Project on Conflicts in Multiethnic Societies
Science and Technology in U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs—Implications for AID and its Partners
U.S.-Russian Interacademy Project on Counterterrorism
International Forum on Biosecurity
Indo-U.S. Cooperation to Counter Infrastructure Terrorism: Workshop on Threats to Communications Systems and Public Transportation Systems
Emergency Preparedness for Terrorist Events: Emerging Opportunities for Science and Technology
Understanding Terrorism
Examining the Science Base for Microbial Forensics
Policy Consequences and Legal/Ethical Implications of Offensive Information Warfare
Maintaining the Safety and Security of U.S. Water Systems
Understanding, Coping with, and Combating Terrorism: Potential New Initiatives in DBASSE
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Defining the role of science and technology in homeland security and countering terrorism has emerged over the past year as a prominent theme of activities across the National Academies. The National Academies portfolio spans the spectrum to varying degrees of the domains of prevention, detection, response, and recovery as well as analyzing key areas of potential terrorist threat, including biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological threats; cyberterrorism; and vulnerability of the nation’s infrastructure, including transportation, energy facilities, cities, and other fixed infrastructure. Finally, the portfolio also includes a number of efforts aimed at a better understanding of the root causes of terrorism.
The heightened sentiments regarding sensitive but not classified features of many of these activities have added a dimension of complexity to the National Academies’ approach to dealing with these issues, which had traditionally fallen fairly clearly into classified and unclassified domains with routine procedures for handling information and disseminating reports in either case. This complexity is exacerbated in the context of our public disclosure obligations under Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Many officers and staff are involved in fashioning ways to function in the new environment, while federal policy continues to evolve.