MSNBC, 1 November 2005

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9890268/

To quote:

Don Yeomans: I've been warned, and warned, and warned again by NASA Headquarters
not to sign NASA up for any mitigation responsibilities - because NASA does not
have that responsibility at the moment. So I'm not to say anything on that.

Alan Boyle: What would have to happen to make those sorts of studies? Rusty has
said that there should be an agency designated to protect Earth from near-Earth
objects and address some of these mitigation measures - whether it's a national
or international agency, or set up under an international treaty. Is there a
range
of political scenarios for that?

Don Yeomans: What would have to happen, of course, is that the policy makers and
Congress would have to direct NASA or the Department of Defense or someone to
take
responsibility for this, and then they would begin the studies necessary to come
up with those options. As I mentioned, NASA does not have the charter to look at
that, nor does anyone else. That's the point - no one does at the moment.