United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-04-15 monographic deposited born digital 44 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-97-95 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95 P0b002ee180384ef8 f:ns97095 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95 NSIAD-97-95 Terrorism Explosives Interagency relations Research and development Narcotics Customs administration Drug trafficking Airports Search and seizure TWA Flight 800 Pan Am Flight 103 Department of State Antiterrorism Assistance Program DOD Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis Project Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the U.S. government is organized to develop technologies for detecting explosives and narcotics, focusing on: (1) the roles, responsibilities, and authority of agencies that establish policy, provide funds or oversee funding requests, and develop explosives and narcotics detection technologies; (2) mechanisms used to coordinate the joint development of technologies; and (3) efforts to strengthen detection technology development.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) numerous federal organizations are involved in developing technologies for detecting explosives and narcotics; (2) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the key agency responsible for developing explosives detection technologies for civil aviation security; (3) in response to the explosion of TWA flight 800, the President established the White House Commission on Aviation Security and Safety to recommend ways of improving security against terrorism; (4) the Commission's recommendations included assigning a new role to the U.S. Customs Service in screening outbound, international cargo for explosives; (5) in September 1996, Congress gave the Secretary of Treasury authority to develop governmentwide standards for canine teams; (6) regarding narcotics detection, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for coordinating federal counterdrug technology efforts and assessing and recommending detection technologies; (7) Customs, with technology development support and funding from the Department of Defense, ultimately decides which technologies will be developed and deployed at U.S. ports of entry; (8) Customs has not deployed some technologies because it did not believe that they were affordable, safe, or operationally suitable for its needs; (9) in addition, Customs and ONDCP have differing views regarding the types of detection technologies needed along the Southwest border; (10) joint technology development is important because the types of technologies used to detect explosives and narcotics are similar; (11) the developers of narcotics detection technologies have not always participated in committees that oversee the development of explosives detection technologies; (12) in the future, Customs plans to participate in these committees; (13) at the direction of Congress, an interagency working group on counterterrorism plans to spend $19 million to develop a system for detecting explosives that Customs may possibly use in a seaport environment to detect drugs; (14) despite efforts to strengthen development of explosives and narcotics technologies, GAO found that the cognizant agencies have not yet agreed to formal understandings on how to establish standards for explosives detection systems, profiling and targeting systems, and deploying canine teams at airports; (15) in addition, they have not agreed on how to resolve issues related to a jo* https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95.pdf GAO/NSIAD-97-95 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-95 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-97-95; Terrorism and Drug Trafficking: Responsibilities for Developing Explosives and Narcotics Detection Technologies; Terrorism Explosives Interagency relations Research and development Narcotics Customs administration Drug trafficking Airports Search and seizure TWA Flight 800 Pan Am Flight 103 Department of State Antiterrorism Assistance Program DOD Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis Project Public Law 101-604