The feds' state-of-the-art bioterrorism program hasn't uncovered anything more threatening than a dead rabbit

Washington D.C.
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

For terrorist organizations like the Islamic State, Washington, D.C., is the number one target for obvious reasons: It is the heart of U.S. operations, it is the home of the president — and it has avoided a major terrorist attack.

Part of this is thanks to expensive counterterrorism programs that are in place to stop anything from a nightclub shooting to an improvised nuclear device. But in this day and age, the threat to the capital is more likely to come from a lone wolf attacker. Despite the enormous budget that goes toward thwarting a handful of dedicated terrorists, former Pentagon official Michael Sheehan told Newsweek that the country needs to scale back on the "obscene" spending that goes toward "activities that have a very marginal impact on our safety."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.