> U.S. Set To Stage Mock Terror Attacks in May > > http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20000405_4419.html > > WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) -- > Sometime in May, senior U.S. officials will wake up to their worst > nightmare-a string of terrorist attacks from coast to coast. Fortunately, > it will be only a dress rehearsal for the real thing. Called "Topoff," the > series of attacks by a fake foreign terrorist group is aimed at testing how > top officials would respond if faced by real weapons of mass destruction. > > As part of the staged attacks, actors will release mock biological agents, > chemical weapons and radiation and hack into computers, said Ted Macklin, > director of exercises and evaluations at the Justice Department's Office of > State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support. "This will give us the > chance to assess in a context of a full-scale exercise how far we have come > in the training process of our first responders and whether we need to make > any midcourse corrections," he said in an interview with Reuters. "This > exercise is very important to allow us to assess our national capacity and > refine our approach to the threat of terrorism," he said, adding that the > scale of the exercise-which will cost at least $3.4 million-was > unprecedented in terms of the range of attacks. > > SPOOF ATTACKS MUST TAKE OFFICIALS BY SURPRISE > > Macklin refuses to provide specifics since he wants to avoid giving too > much information to top officials, whom he wants to surprise with the > carefully planned mayhem. It has taken more than a year and the involvement > of hundreds of state and local officials to plan the exercise that targets > three venues: Denver, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and an area outside > Washington, D.C. The only information to be disclosed so far is that the > attacks will take place over a period of several days between May 7 and 26. > No details will be released until then about the type of biological agents > to be used, how the process will unfold and the specific sites in the cities > chosen. "The exercise is characterized as 'no notice.' We need an element > of surprise," said Macklin. People can expect to see streets blocked off, > emergency vehicles rushing to the scene and "victims" being taken to > hospitals. "People will see response vehicles, people may see people in > protective gear and there will be visible activity. Where, when and what, we > can't share with you, "Macklin said. But he said his department was working > hard to make sure people living in the areas affected knew that the events > were simulated. "People will understand that this is just an exercise, but > they must also understand that if they see things that are actual > emergencies they must tell officials," Justice Department spokesman Doug > Johnson said. > > Attorney General Janet Reno and Federal Emergency Management Director James > Lee Witt are the first officials who have lined up to take part in the > event. > > SENIOR OFFICIALS LINED UP FOR EXERCISE > > Macklin said he hoped senior officials from the FBI, CIA, State Department, > Pentagon and others would also participate. After the attacks, a report > will be filed how they responded and recommend any improvements or > corrections needed. "Ultimately the end game in any exercise is that once

> the recommendations are validated we can incorporate them into training > programs to refine those," Macklin said. If a real attack takes place > during the mock events, he said, enough resources have been set aside to > deal with it. > > The exercise stems from a provision inserted in a 1998 appropriations bill > by Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire calling for "practice > operations" for a terrorist attack. His home state is one of those chosen > for the mayhem. > > Critics of the exercise say it overstates the real threats facing America > and that such a broad range of attacks would be unlikely to happen together. > CIA director George Tenet told a Senate committee last month that a major > threat to U.S. security came from groups such as Saudi exile Osama bin > Laden's that were trying to acquire biological and chemical weapons > capabilities. Tenet said that over the next few years U.S. cities faced > ballistic missile threats from a wide variety of sources: North Korea, > probably Iran and possibly Iraq. U.S. intelligence had identified well over > 50 nations that were of concern as suppliers, conduits or potential > proliferates, he said. > > Peggy Peirson, Emergency Services Coordinator > Benton County Emergency Management, Corvallis, OR > peggy.peirson@co.benton.or.us > (541) 766-6864, 766-6052 - fax > Visit our Website! http://osu.orst.edu/groups/bcemc > "Together We're Building a Disaster Resilient Community!" > > "What would you do if you knew you would not fail?"

-- You know who (formerly@nowhere.zzz), April 14, 2000

Answers

Thanks for the heads up, Formerly.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), April 14, 2000.