DATE=4/26/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=SIMULATED TERRORIST ATTACK
NUMBER=5-46205
BYLINE=MIKE O'SULLIVAN
DATELINE=LOS ANGELES
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
Voiced At: 

INTRO:  Early Wednesday, police and emergency workers 
converged on the port of Long Beach, California, to 
test the city's readiness for a terrorist attack.  As 
we hear from Mike O'Sullivan, the exercise involved 
more than 300 local and federal officials.


TEXT:  The exercise took place on a former naval base, 
which is now home to Sea Launch, an international 
aerospace firm that launches satellites from an ocean 
platform.  Officials say the facility could be a 
potential target in an actual attack.

Shortly after 9 a-m, an explosion in a trash can 
marked the release of a simulated gas.  Hazardous 
materials teams would identify it as Sarin, the gas 
released five years ago in the Tokyo subway system.  
That actual terrorist attack by a Japanese cult killed 
twelve people and injured thousands.

Rick Pillsbury of the Long Beach Fire Department says 
there were 50 victims in this simulated attack.  Ten 
were fatalities.  The other 40 received treatment.

            /// PILLSBURY ACT ///

      We're going to go through the decontaminating of 
      these victims.  We are going to then work 
      through the transportation process of bringing 
      these people to hospitals, and then the 
      hospitals will take it from there.

            /// END ACT ///

Within minutes of the attack, Sea Launch workers, who 
participated in the exercise, stagger from their 
command ship clutching their heads and stomachs.

      /// SFX ACT - COUGHING ///


A bulletin on the public address system urges other 
workers to find shelter.
      
            /// ACT ///

      Please take shelter in buildings three, four and 
      one.  If you are in building 13, please take 
      shelter in building four.
      
            /// END ACT ///

Ten minutes after the blast, fire and police personnel 
arrive on the scene.  Masked firefighters with oxygen 
tanks try to calm disoriented workers as they lead 
them from the contaminated region.

            /// ACT -- CROWD SOUNDS ///

      (victim) They're hurt down there.  Go help those 
      people...."
      
      (fire fighter)  Sit down.  Sit down.

            /// END ACT ///

Minutes later, the victims are stripped to their 
underwear as they undergo decontamination.  First, 
they are sprayed with water hoses and then with 
chemical compounds.  Fire fighter Mike Garcia explains 
the process for treating people exposed to Sarin.

            /// HOSING SOUNDS AND GARCIA ACT ///

      When people are covered with this type of agent, 
      we need to go through a decontamination process, 
      wash it off so we don't contaminate anyone 
      further, especially the hospital systems.  Also, 
      when inhaled and taken into the system, what it 
      does is cause violent contractions of the 
      muscles, which eventually can be fatal.

            /// END ACT ///

An antidote called atropine (A-troh-peen) is injected 
in the victims to stop the convulsions.

This is one of 120 tests taking place in U-S cities 
under a special congressional grant, to test the 
coordination of local and federal officials. 

            /// OPT ///

The U-S Army Biological Chemical Command provides 
technical expertise, as army official Ivy Roberson 
(ROBE-er-son) explains.  The Army helps with "decon," 
or decontamination.

            /// ROBERSON ACT ///

      We're one of the agencies that has expertise in 
      biological and chemical warfare agents, how to 
      decontaminate, how to mitigate that threat, how 
      to treat casualties and so forth.  But our main 
      concern here today is to make sure that the city 
      understands and exercises its capabilities on 
      how to respond to an incident such as this.
      
            /// END ACT ///

The hazardous materials team of U-S Federal Bureau of 
Investigation will assist with evidence-gathering.  
But by 11 o'clock on the morning of the exercise, the 
Long Beach Police Department's Special Weapons Team is 
on the trail of the terrorists.  Janet Blair is a 
spokeswoman for the department.

            /// BLAIR ACT ///

      Right at this point, we have deployed our SWAT 
      plus our canine bloodhounds.   We are obtain a 
      scent from the phone booth where the  potential 
      terrorists made a phone call.  We'll be tracking 
      that scent, hopefully locating a possible 
      suspect within the decon (decontaminated) area 
      eventually.

            /// END ACT ///

            /// END OPT ///

By the time the three-hour exercise is finished, local 
police have caught their suspect.  Participants are 
debriefed, and police and fire officials, victims and 
terrorists sit down together for lunch at the port of 
Long Beach. 

Officials say this simulated terrorist incident is 
realistic.  A chemical weapons attack has never 
happened in the United States, but if it does, 
preparedness is essential.  (Signed)

Neb/MO/TVM/gm



26-Apr-2000 17:56 PM EDT (26-Apr-2000 2156 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.