Security Threat Assessment

Currently all NATO member states, in fact the global security community, are involved in the discussion of various security threat scenarios potentially resulting in damages comparable to acts of “catastrophic terrorism,” e.g. threats resulting from the deployment of a weapon with nuclear, biological, or chemical mass destruction (WMD) capability by terrorists. Whilst it is undoubtedly a worthwhile aim of many countries to prepare for the aftermath of such an event, it is difficult for any society to find the correct level of emergency preparedness. The much-needed high level of emergency preparedness is extremely costly and difficult to maintain over extended periods of time for reasons of financial constraints and political unwillingness to invest in countermeasures for an event of unknown probability. These investments have to compete with the generally acknowledged need for investing in strengthening the emergency preparedness of society in case of large natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, or tsunamis.