National Guard to Counter Terrorism

Specially trained National Guard units will help local and state officials respond to potential terrorist attacks from chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said Tuesday.

“These teams will arrive quickly, assess the scene and help ensure these affected areas get the federal assistance” they need, Cohen said in a speech at the National Press Club.

Over the coming year, the Guard will set up 10 units, each composed of 22 full-time members and 22 reserve members. Cohen has asked Congress for $49.2 million in next year’s budget to pay for them, their training and their equipment.

Noting the threat posed by such incidents as the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway or the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, Cohen said the nation must be better prepared against potential chemical, biological or even nuclear catastrophe.

A new office will oversee coordination of the units with existing ones, said officials at a Pentagon briefing. The exact locations of the first 10 units will be chosen by May. In the meantime, plans are being drawn up for one unit to exist in each of the 10 localities used across the nation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Brig. Gen. Roger Schultz, deputy director of the Army’s office for military support.