Report: U.S. gets 'C' for terrorism effort

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A group of nearly two dozen former officials said terrorism remains a threat seven years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

In a report card to be released Wednesday, the bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America said the U.S. government has made only limited progress in preventing an attack on U.S. soil and in combating the growth of weapons of mass destruction abroad, The Washington Post said.

The United States got an overall grade of C -- an average of the three D's, eight C's and seven B's -- in areas such as sustained support of foreign scientists and governments, integrating programs to prevent nuclear terrorism and strengthening multilateral enforcement efforts.

The 22-member group recommended that the next president appoint a Cabinet-level White House coordinator with the authority to direct counter-proliferation plans, programs and funding.

"We can no longer afford to hope that our patchwork of programs and initiatives will naturally cohere into an effective whole," said the report, an advance copy of which was provided to the Post. "The United States cannot be safe working alone."