Government Drills on Domestic Terror Attacks

Feb. 24, 2007 — -- The White House played out an emergency response exercise today in which roadside and car bombs, the deadliest threat to American troops in Iraq, exploded in 10 American cities.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the exercise "is not based on any real or perceived terrorist threat," but he noted that the World Trade Center was first bombed in 1993 and the federal building in Oklahoma City was struck in 1996.

In the scenario, roadside and car bombs struck 10 cities of various sizes in a coordinated nationwide terror attack, according to an administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. White House officials would not name the cities, saying they were picked at random.

The Bush administration discovered shortcomings in inter-government communications the hard way during Hurricane Katrina.

"After Hurricane Katrina struck, many important lessons were learned," Stanzel said. "And today's exercise demonstrated that the federal government's ability to respond to disasters has been strengthened, and our ability to work with state and local authorities to respond to disasters and address their needs has been enhanced."

Fran Townsend, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, hosted senior administration officials from throughout the government at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It was the fourth such exercise since December 2005, including an influenza pandemic drill, and small pox and hurricane response exercises.

About 90 senior officials from all of the cabinet departments and some others were represented, officials said.