Report: U.S. not ready for major disaster
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government isn’t fully prepared to handle a nuclear terrorist attack or a large-scale natural catastrophe, lacks effective coordination, and, in some cases, is years away from ensuring adequate emergency shelter and medical treatment, congressional investigators have found.
The report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, obtained by The Associated Press before its release, found that the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency didn’t always keep track of disaster efforts by agencies, hampering the nation’s preparedness even after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. That storm hit a large swath of the eastern U.S., including New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, which received federal disaster money.
The Government Accountability Office said it would still take one to five years to develop a strategy to determine whether people were exposed to unsafe levels of radiation and five to 10 years to plan for a full medical response.
Army completes Bergdahl case review
WASHINGTON – The Army has finished its investigation into how and why Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl disappeared from his base in Afghanistan, and leaders were briefing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Friday afternoon, officials said Friday.
Details about the probe’s conclusion have been closely held. The report could include recommendations on whether Bergdahl should be charged with any criminal violations or forced to leave the Army. Potential charges could be desertion or leaving his post and being “absent without leave,” or AWOL. The final disposition will also determine whether Bergdahl gets as much as $300,000 in back pay and other benefits.
Officials said Army Secretary John McHugh could send the case to a military commander who would decide whether it should go before a court martial and what, if any, charges would be filed against Bergdahl.
Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza
JERUSALEM – Israel’s military struck a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip early Saturday in its first airstrike on the Palestinian territory since this summer’s war.
The Israeli military said the airstrike on what it called a “Hamas terror infrastructure site” in the southern Gaza Strip was in response to a rocket fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Friday. The rocket fire caused no injuries.
Palestinian residents reported hearing two explosions in the Khan Yunis region of Gaza, in an area that contains training sites for Palestinian militants. No injuries were immediately reported.
Associated Press
