March 16, 2010
Location: Elk Grove Holiday Inn
Registration: 5:30-6:00; Dinner: 6:00; Speaker: 7:00

Science and Technology Challenges in National
Security: Proliferation and Unconventional Weapons
by
Vahid Majidi, Ph.D.
(Assistant Director, Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate)
 

As recently as the past decade, most people were unfamiliar with the term “weapons of mass destruction (WMD)”; albeit the origin of this phrase can be traced back to more than half a century ago. Over the last few years, the public has been exposed to countless reports and an abundance of media coverage on WMD, resulting in a significant concern over public security, safety and health.

The FBI’s WMD mission is critical and essential for our country’s public safety and national security. The first step toward understanding what we do is to define WMD, which is based on legal statutes. For our purpose, WMD is defined as a weapon containing chemical, biological, radiological or special nuclear materials designed to cause death or injury. The threat of WMD is a complex issue; not just in the discussion of how to detect, deter, and defend against their use, but also in the difference between the devices, technology, and processes needed to obtain and use these weapons. Considering the unique scientific and investigative challenges posed by weapons of mass destruction, the WMD program at the FBI was created to develop and execute an integrated approach to deny access to WMD materials and technologies, prevent WMD attacks, and respond to WMD threats and incidents.

A critical and challenging component of this mission is to detect and disrupt the acquisition or use of WMD. In addition, preparedness for these events and our ability to respond to WMD incidents present a dilemma in that chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials/events are distinctive in character, response requirements, and potential consequences. Hence, significant expertise is required to effectively support the FBI’s responsibility and to create an organizational structure that ensures a systematic, coordinated, and effective national approach to preventing and responding to the threat of WMD.

In this presentation the roles, responsibilities and capabilities of the FBI will be highlighted. Additionally, the role of scientific analysis and approach will be discussed with regard to our daily case work.

Register