Charles Yost

Assesses the homeland security implications of publicly available geospatial data and information. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, many agencies within the federal government began restricting some of their publicly available geospatial data and information from such sources as the World Wide Web. As time passes, however, decisionmakers have begun to ask whether and how such information specifically helps potential attackers, including terrorists, to select U.S. homeland sites and prepare for better attacks. The research detailed in this book aims to assist decisionmakers tasked with the responsibility of choosing which geospatial information to make available and which to restrict.

What role can the Army play in protecting the United States from terrorist attacks? Although responding to terrorist attacks and other domestic emergencies is primarily a civilian responsibility, the U.S. Army has a role in filling gaps in civilian capability. Should the Army adopt a hedging strategy to meet the risks of future terrorist attacks and other emergencies? The authors of this report lay out five possible shortfalls in Army capability and suggest five responses the Army can begin today, concluding that the nation needs to decide whether to bear the costs today in order to hedge against future risks.