ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT ABC TV 7:00 PM JULY 23, 2001 EXERCISE EXPOSES U.S. VULNERABILITY TO BIO-TERRORISM: A recent exercise conducted at Andrews Air Force Base demonstrated clearly that neither U.S. political leaders, nor the American health care system, is prepared to respond adequately to any major bio-terrorist attack. Peter Jennings, John Yang, ABC. Exercise Exposes U.S. Vulnerability to Bio-terrorism PETER JENNINGS: In Washington today, there was a dramatic reminder the U.S. has a lot to do if it wants to be ready for a bio-terrorist attack on the country. A few weeks ago, at Andrews Air Force Base, former and current government officials participated in an exercise called "Dark Winter." It was designed to see how the U.S. might respond to a smallpox attack - not very well. Here's ABC's John Yang. JOHN YANG: This was the scenario - in Oklahoma City, twenty confirmed cases of smallpox. More suspected in Georgia and Pennsylvania. The White House is in crisis. Former senator Sam Nunn played the role of the president. SAM NUNN [Former Senator]: The enemy is invisible. The enemy is insidious and spreading everywhere, and you don't know how to contain it. YANG: Mr. Nunn had at his disposal a makeshift national security council of former federal officials. His first questions were about public health. The answers were grim there - is no cure and vaccine for only 12 million in the United States. Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating played himself. FRANK KEATING [Governor of Oklahoma]: It was one of those situations that got more horrific as more information rolled out. YANG: As they tried to limit the outbreak, tensions quickly arose between health officials and the military - who would get the vaccines? And between federal and local authorities - who was in charge? GOV. KEATING: I said, "I'm going to close the airports. I'm going to close all roads in and out of my state." One of the generals from the federal family said, "what authority do you have to do that?" And I said, "I just did it." YANG: It was too late. They were soon told the outbreak would spread to 25 states, and 300,000 people would be infected within two months. While the details of the smallpox outbreak were hypothetical, the participants say they came away with very real lessons. NUNN: I would like to tell you that the people sitting around the table were just amateurs, but these are the real players, and these are people who have the knowledge. And I can say without any question, this country is not prepared. YANG: The politicians are not prepared, and the public health system is certainly not prepared. John Yang, ABC News, Washington.