New DHS office to counter deadly weapons proliferation

Newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the formation of new office within the Department of Homeland Security that will focus on keeping weapons of mass destruction and their components out of the hand of terrorists.    Newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced today the formation of new office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that will focus on keeping weapons of mass destruction and their components out of the hands of terrorist groups and rogue nations.
   The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office consolidates DHS activities related to controlling these weapons. It will also provide stronger policy coordination and long-range planning, as well as ensure “greater visibility for this critically important mission,” DHS said.
   The CWMD Office will be overseen by James McDonnell, who was appointed by President Trump in June 2017 to serve as the director of the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO).
   “The United States faces rising danger from terrorist groups and rogue nation states who could use chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents to harm Americans,” Nielsen said in a statement. “That’s why DHS is moving towards a more integrated approach, bringing together intelligence, operations, interagency engagement, and international action.  As terrorism evolves, we must stay ahead of the enemy and the establishment of this office is an important part of our efforts to do so.”
   According to DHS, terrorist groups are actively pursuing mass causality weapons and testing them on overseas battlefields. “A terrorist attack using such a weapon against the United States would have a profound and potentially catastrophic impact on our nation and the world,” the department warned.