• current capabilities to restore or rehabilitate a system.

Agencies should:

⚫ review the criteria and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness

of existing preparedness capabilities developed in response to other threats,

⚫ apply these criteria and methods to the disruptive terrorism

threat, and

• compare the results of the inquiry on terrorism to the findings developed relative to other threats. These findings will provide the

basis for determining the extent of revisions, new plans or other capabilities required.

IV. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND ASSUMPTIONS

The following objectives, policies and planning assumptions will

govern the development of the Federal preparedness capability to cope

with disruptive terrorism. As the capability is developed, coordination with the Federal Preparedness Agency should assure a uniform and

integrated national response.

Objectives

• Complete the pre-incident actions that will minimize the

consequences of disruptive terrorism.

This includes actions such as operational response planning, stockpiling of critical components, mutual protection of interagency choke points, reduction of interdependencies, and the preparation of standby authorities and capabilities to reduce the impact of disruptions. The objective focuses on activities that might not be possible during the emergency because they would be too complex to initiate, would be too time consuming to develop, or would require action by non-target groups too diverse to provide rapid response. Actions related to this objective must be cost-effective in relation to the low probability of disruptive terrorism.

Attain a state of readiness to perform essential relief operations in response to disruptive terrorism.

This includes preparedness in the target systems that are

regarded as the most critical and the most vulnerable. Preparedness

will enable the Federal Government to minimize the scope, severity, and duration of the disruptions to the se essential systems.

Disruptions are minimized if the conditions are less severe,

of shorter duration, and less varied than they would be if no

preparedness measures were taken. The reductions in severity, duration and variety should be as great as can be expected given the

constraints of time, societal complexity, limited governmental

authority and available resources that may be operative under emergency conditions.

• Attain a state of readiness to restore disrupted national systems. This includes the restoration of the disrupted target systems as part of the long term recovery of the U.S. The disrupted system

should be restored to as much of its preattack capability as feasible

and within the shortest possible timeframe given the resource constraints applicable during that period.

Policy

• Federal agencies, as designated in Executive Order 11490, will participate in an effort to develop a Federal preparedness program

to meet all the conditions of national emergency that may be produced by disruptive terrorism.

• Federal preparedness will be designed to cope with the

This guidance is

impact of disruptive terrorism on essential national economic, social, and political processes and structures. applicable primarily to those situations in which the response to the disrupted process or system is within the exclusive or predominant domain of the Federal Government, such as, interstate commerce or national security.

To the maximum feasible extent, Federal agencies will

incorporate the capability to cope with disruptive terrorism into their existing preparedness efforts. Their preparations will rely

to a maximum degree on present organizational structures, coordinating mechanisms, crisis management procedures and operational response plans.

• All Federal responses to disruptive terrorism will operate within the general constraints applicable to all civil emergency preparedness operations in regard to the preservation of basic constitutional processes and political freedoms.

These constraints

are particularly important in light of the fact that one of the most

important objectives of terrorists may be to provoke the government into counterproductive repression.

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• Emergency planners should concentrate on eight critical

target systems: electric power, petroleum and gas, transportation, telecommunications, finance, industrial production, water and

government. These are the systems that appear to be both the most vulnerable and most critical to the national well-being. In addition, the use of chemical, biological and/or radiological agents, which could affect large numbers of people, should be given special

attention.

• In meeting the preparedness objectives, agencies should consider the full range of emergency measures that might be

applicable. These include voluntary measures, rationing, stockpiling, dispersion of resources, conservation, establishing priorities,

determining allocations, and obtaining standby authority.

Planning Assumptions

State and local governments will, under their legal powers,

respond to the immediate needs of their citizens.

• When the consequences of disruptive terrorism exceed the response capabilities of an affected State, its Governor may seek Federal assistance under P. L. 93-288, the Disaster Relief Act of

1974. If the President declares a major disaster or an emergency in the affected State, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration

will direct and coordinate the Federal disaster assistance program.