{"675408":{"#nid":"675408","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nunn School\u0027s Kosal Helps Lead National Academies Consensus Report on Chemical Terrorism ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u0027s happening:\u003C\/strong\u003E Margaret E. Kosal, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, played a key role in developing a new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/our-work\/assessing-and-improving-strategies-for-preventing-countering-and-responding-to-weapons-of-mass-destruction-terrorism-chemical-threats\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Econsensus report\u003C\/a\u003E by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) looking at U.S. strategies to prevent or respond to a chemical attack. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/margaret-e-kosal\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKosal\u003C\/a\u003E, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry and extensive national security expertise, served as vice chair of the study committee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is a NASEM consensus report?\u003C\/strong\u003E These rigorous reports are the gold standard in public science and policy guidance, providing policymakers, industry, and the public with evidence-based, authoritative advice on complex scientific, engineering, and health-related issues. This one was ordered by Congress and took nearly two years to complete.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy it matters: \u003C\/strong\u003EWhile the U.S. hasn\u2019t yet seen a major chemical terrorism attack in recent years, terrorists have used chemical agents more often than any other WMD. \u0026nbsp;The committee concluded that the threat remains significant domestically and internationally. Their report highlights the need to maintain robust counter-terrorism measures while adapting to the United States\u2019 shifting strategic priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmong the key findings:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAfter decades of focusing on terror groups, U.S. strategy now prioritizes state actors and interstate competition. This could potentially affect funding and attention to counter-terrorism efforts, the committee said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe U.S. needs to align its budget priorities to its new strategic direction to better prepare the nation to deter and, if necessary, respond to such attacks.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWidespread availability of industrial chemicals and little visibility on potential insider threats exacerbate the threat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe committee also stressed a critical need to support basic scientific and social science research specifically related to countering chemical terrorism, such as understanding social behavior related to emerging threats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe experts also said that working with international partners to enhance chemical security and identify, prevent, counter, and respond to chemical and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats worldwide help make the U.S. safer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t, even unintentionally, shift to a strategy of depending on us \u2018being lucky\u2019 to stop terrorists who want to acquire and use WMD,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/margaret-e-kosal\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKosal\u003C\/a\u003E said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe bottom line:\u003C\/strong\u003E Kosal\u0027s leadership in this significant national security report underscores the Nunn School\u0027s and Georgia Tech\u0027s critical contributions to addressing complex global threats and highlights the school\u0027s expertise and commitment to shaping effective national security policies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENunn School Associate Professor Margaret E. Kosal helped lead the National Academies committee study on chemical terrorism.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Associate Professor Margaret E. Kosal helped lead the National Academies committee study on chemical terrorism."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2024-07-09 15:47:03","changed_gmt":"2024-07-15 14:04:59","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674322":{"id":"674322","type":"image","title":"nasem cover 169.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Margaret E. Kosal helped lead the National Academies committee that produced the report on chemical terrorism.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1720542200","gmt_created":"2024-07-09 16:23:20","changed":"1720542200","gmt_changed":"2024-07-09 16:23:20","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"257820","name":"nasem cover 169.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/09\/nasem%20cover%20169.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/09\/nasem%20cover%20169.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":363777,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/09\/nasem%20cover%20169.jpg?itok=GqAKonAW"}}},"media_ids":["674322"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/674925\/nunn-school-researcher-joins-funded-team-explore-military-human-teams","title":"Nunn School Researcher Joins DoD-Funded Team to Explore Military AI-Human Teams "},{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/659119\/srnl-georgia-tech-appoint-margaret-kosal-joint-faculty-position","title":"SRNL, Georgia Tech Appoint Margaret E. Kosal to Joint Faculty Position "},{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/651733\/kosal-appointed-sustainable-bioindustrial-manufacturing-committee","title":"Kosal Appointed to Sustainable Bioindustrial Manufacturing Committee "}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michaael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michaael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}