ABC: "Exercise Exposes U.S. Vulnerability to Bio-terrorism"

[Faustine]

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.