Terrorist drill in Seattle May 1 - 8

[The Blue Flower]

I just wrote this letter to the Times and P-I in response to an email I received from Rich Lang, an activist pastor at Trinity UMC:

Dear Seattle Times Editors: Are you aware that from May 1 through 8 Seattle will be the site for a major terrorist drill? While I'm aware that the military and our security agencies run such exercises regularly, these are also the same type of exercises that took place on both 9/11 (in New York) and on 7/7 (in London) when the exercises suddenly became shocking reality.

The Mayor’s office seems not to have information about it. Emergency Management is giving out vague information. It seems to me that the people of Seattle should be fully informed about these exercises. How will they affect traffic? Will there be highway closures? Will EM personnel or equipment be accessible as usual or will they be sidelined for the exercise? How will we be able to distinguish between exercises and genuine emergencies? Who can we call for additional information? What State, City, and County agencies will be involved? What will be the cost to the local economy? What will be the cost to taxpayers? How will the Mayor's office be involved? What disruptions in service can we expect? And this is only a partial list of questions we need to be asking--and demanding answers to.

Considering that such exercises in the past became smoke screens for actual harm to innocent people going about their daily lives, the people of Seattle should be fully informed in order to be fully vigilant.



xxxxxx

[Patriot Abroad]

1. Good heads up.

Lets hope that the City manages this "exercise" better than they managed the WTO meetings a few years back . . .

[eridani]

2. What a coincidence. Just got the following email from Rich Lang

--pastor of the progressive Keystone church.

Hi folks … this is an email from me in my role as a citizen, and a friend, not necessarily as a pastor.

Some of you will have no interest in this but a few will.

I just wanted you to be aware that from May 1-8th our global city of Seattle will be the site for a major “terrorist drill”. On the one hand these are the “necessary and regular” drills that the military run all the time throughout the nation, testing and resourcing our national defense. On the other hand, these are also the same type of drills that were occurring on both 9/11 (in New York) and on 7/7 (in London) when the drill suddenly “went live”.

I contacted the Mayor’s office who knew nothing but transferred me to Emergency Management who were vaguely aware of it and transferred me to Washington State EM office where I left a message. I then called Jim McDermott’s office that didn’t know anything, and basically blew me off as an annoyance. I admit it felt kinda fun …

But, after reading the post below, I want to encourage you to practice democracy with a phone call or two (doesn’t take long .. The above took me 5 minutes if that).

Give a call to the Mayor’s Office (206- 684-4000) or to Lit Dudley at State Emergency Management (253-512-7440) or to Rep. McDermott (206-553-7170) … a possible script could be:

“ Hi I’m …,

I was just wondering what you could tell me about the Ardent Sentry terrorist exercises taking place in Seattle later this week (May 1-8)? Will it impact traffic? Are they going to close the viaduct?”

Or

“ Hi, I was just wondering what you could tell me about the Ardent Sentry exercises in Seattle this week? Has the Mayor been informed? Is he going to address the public about the exercises? “

Or

“ Hi etc etc … could you tell me what the Continuity of Operations is? Rep. Peter de Fazio tried to find out but was stonewalled and refused that information last year. Living in a democracy gives us the right to know that information.





*** In other words from simple to complex (whatever is your comfort level) … most folks on the other end of the line are helpful and gracious. They could be your neighbor just doing their job.

The point is for we the people (citizens) to do our job as an informed citizenry. It is good for them to know that we know, that we are awake, aware and alert. I would encourage you to have the post below in front of your eyes, and then call someone to find out something, and then, if you want, let me know of anything interesting. Here’s the info:


******************************

The overall exercise scenario unfolds as a Category 4 hurricane threatens the National Capitol Region (i.e. Washington DC) while events in the Pacific Northwest include terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the state of Washington and an accidental release of a chemical agent at chemical stockpile facility in Umatilla, Oregon. The scenario culminates with the hurricane's imminent landfall combined with a credible terror threat which causes the federal government to invoke continuity plans and capabilities. (i.e. martial law)


>>> National Level Exercise 2-08 (NLE 2-08).

The Department of Homeland Security's National Exercise Program (NEP), the nation's overarching homeland security exercise program, will conduct a combined exercise in May 2008 that will test hurricane preparedness planning, assess federal interagency Continuity of Operations (COOP) procedures, exercise a response to terrorist attacks in Washington State and test Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA). These linked exercises are referred to as National Level Exercise 2-08 (NLE 2-08).

The exercise takes place May 1-8 with a wide range of participants from federal and state departments and agencies.

NLE 2-08 will consolidate into a single exercise the following:

Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Continuity Programs' (NCP) Eagle Horizon 2008;

U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) Ardent Sentry 08 exercise;

FEMA's Disaster Operation's Hurricane Preparedness Exercise (HPE);

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program and Army Service Response Force tests for emergency plans, procedures, skills and equipment in response to an accidental chemical agent release.

Planning for NLE 2-08 began in late spring 2007 and is designed to achieve the following objectives:

Exercise and evaluate federal government continuity capabilities and management of emergencies from dispersed locations.

Exercise our response to terrorist WMDs threat and attack capabilities with integration of Defense Support of Civil Authorities; and Exercise hurricane preparedness and response capabilities.

For more information on NLE 2-08 please contact FEMA Office of Public Affairs at 202-646-4600 or USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at 719-554-6889.

[eridani]

3. No comments whatsoever from the MSM

A local blogger did a little digging, though.
http://www.washblog.com/story/2008/5/3/202523/9023