Incoming Trump security team: WMD, radiation detection must be a priority
With the latest FBI terrorist warning for this past Thanksgiving holiday including the celebrated tradition of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the future administration of soon-to-be inaugurated President Donald J. Trump must upgrade national security for nuclear WMD.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation had issued a Thanksgiving alert to law enforcement and security officials throughout the U.S. that they received a warning via an Islamic terrorist publication known as “Inspire Magazine” of a potential terrorist attack around Thanksgiving or during the Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017.
The New York City police officials also warned that the jihadist magazine had called the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan an “excellent target.”
While the news media’s coverage of President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for key national security positions is treated more like a National Football League players draft rather than the life or death situation facing the American people, this latest terror threat proves that one of the first security issues needing attention are terrorist nuclear devices (TNDs), according to law enforcement and first-response commanders.
Whomever is chosen to head the Department of Homeland Security (HHS), must properly oversee the all-important Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), a report from Homeland Security News Wire states. The report was released on Friday, a day that saw the next national security adviser — retired Lt. General Michael Flynn — chosen by Trump to serve as his overseer involving all-things military, intelligence and public safety.
“DNDO plays an important role in the field of nuclear forensics. DHS says that in addition to advancing technical capabilities and supporting expertise development, DNDO coordinates with other partners to exercise the U.S. government’s ability to collect nuclear debris samples in the event of a detonation and transport them to laboratories for analysis,” according to the Homeland Security News Wire.
One such exercise took place during this autumn season in Florida. The exercise, titled Prominent Hunt 16-2B, was conducted in the Sunshine State’s city of Tampa, with the Hillsborough County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office providing their training facility — the Walter C. Heinrich Training Center –for the simulation exercises.
According to the Homeland Security News Wire Report:
Working in close coordination with Florida state and local agencies, DNDO and its federal partners conducted the exercise against the backdrop of a simulated detonation of a terrorist nuclear device. The National Technical Nuclear Forensics Ground Collection Task Force, which includes members from the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, deployed to the site of this mock detonation to practice collecting nuclear debris.
As in a real nuclear event, DNDO’s federal, state, and local partners deployed planes and helicopters with aerial radiation detection and mapping equipment in support of the Task Force. This equipment can determine radiation levels and assist in the collection of optimal evidence samples, while ensuring the safety of the Task Force and other responders. Nuclear debris collected after a detonation can be analyzed using nuclear forensics techniques to help determine those responsible for the attack.
“Exercises such as Prominent Hunt help support DNDO’s mission to ensure the nation’s nuclear forensics capabilities are prepared to respond to nuclear threats,” DNDO said.
