U.S. Called Unprepared For Nuclear Terrorism

Experts Critical of Evacuation Plans

By John Mintz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 3, 2005; Page A01

When asked during the campaign debates to name the gravest danger facing the United States, President Bush and challenger Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) gave the same answer: a nuclear device in the hands of terrorists.

But more than 3 1/2 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the U.S. government has failed to adequately prepare first responders and the public for a nuclear strike, according to emergency preparedness and nuclear experts and federal reports.