US to hold chemical and biological attack exercise
2 hours, 24 minutes ago Canada - AFP
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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US security officials are set to begin a five-day exercise that simulates chemical and biological terrorist attacks in the eastern US states of Connecticut and New Jersey.
The exercise, dubbed "TOPOFF 3" (short for Top Official) will take place in the Connecticut town of New London and in two counties in eastern New Jersey, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a statement.
Top US officials will monitor events from Washington, while security officials in Canada and Britain will follow developments at their end and focus on maintaining communication channels open with their US counterparts.
According to the script, terrorists planning to attack New York and Boston suspect their plans have been compromised and launch a premature attack by dispersing a biological agent from a car in New Jersey.
As seriously injured people begin to flood local hospitals, the chemical attack that had been planned for Boston also is launched prematurely -- in the town of New London, Connecticut, some 250 kilometers away.
"The scenario is plausible, but purely fictional," according to the Department of Homeland Security statement.
"Although the government views both of these types of threat as credible, the weapons were not chosen on the basis of intelligence regarding specific terrorist plans."
While real weapons will not be used, participants "will respond as if the exercise was a real attack with real weapons and real consequences," the statement added.
More than 10,000 people will participate in the exercise, which is dubbed "Atlantic Blue" in Britain and "Triple Play" in Canada.
Thirteen other countries, including Mexico, have sent observers to the event.
"TOPOFF 3" is the third exercise involving simulated terrorist chemical, nuclear or biological attacks. The first was held in May 2000 and the second in May 2003 with simultaneous simulated attacks in the west coast city of Seattle and Chicago.
"The TOPOFF exercises are a key piece of the United States homeland security national preparedness efforts. By responding realistically to simulated attacks, we are able to identify our strengths and weaknesses and make our national response system stronger," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. |
