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CNN Live Sunday
Government Conducts Anthrax Countermeasures Drills
Aired December 28, 2003 - 18:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Shortly after 9/11, the now infamous anthrax letters gave a jittery nation yet another reason to be on guard. Five people were killed and the case remains unsolved. But what would happen if terrorists used the deadly white powder as a weapon of mass destruction? Could the government save your life?
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by in Crawford, Texas, with details on a secret exercise aimed at answering that question.
How did the government do, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it was an exercise that took place, a secret exercise took place mid-November involving 100 personnel from various federal agencies. And as the results suggest, this country is far from protecting its American citizens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the event of a widespread anthrax attack, the federal government recently discovered it could not get the antibiotics fast enough to save the thousands of Americans who could be affected. That's the result of a top secret government drill led by senior officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.
The November exercise dubbed "Scarlet Cloud" simulated the release of anthrax in different types of aerosols, simultaneously in several American cities, to test how quickly the government could coordinate and administer antibiotics to the affected areas.
The classified drill was designed to identify the government's weaknesses in fighting a biochemical attack. This warning, as recently as Friday, that terrorists are trying everything they can to pull off a non-conventional attack.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY: We know that al Qaeda, if they could get a hold of a chemical or biological or radiological or nuclear weapon, if they could acquire it, build or steal it, they would probably use it.
QUIJANO: The secret drill did show that the government is more prepared for such an attack than it was before September 11th. The progress with security comes as a relief to lawmakers and the former mayor of New York, who was in the bulls eye of that attack two years ago.
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: We're safer today than they were last year at this time.
REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that the al Qaeda threat, which we're chiefly concerned with right now, will remain to that extant forever. I think we'll put it in a bottle and stuff a cork in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, until then, the country remains at a high state of alert, preparing on all levels for another possible attack -- Carol?
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 28, 2003 - 18:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Shortly after 9/11, the now infamous anthrax letters gave a jittery nation yet another reason to be on guard. Five people were killed and the case remains unsolved. But what would happen if terrorists used the deadly white powder as a weapon of mass destruction? Could the government save your life?
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by in Crawford, Texas, with details on a secret exercise aimed at answering that question.
How did the government do, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it was an exercise that took place, a secret exercise took place mid-November involving 100 personnel from various federal agencies. And as the results suggest, this country is far from protecting its American citizens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the event of a widespread anthrax attack, the federal government recently discovered it could not get the antibiotics fast enough to save the thousands of Americans who could be affected. That's the result of a top secret government drill led by senior officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.
The November exercise dubbed "Scarlet Cloud" simulated the release of anthrax in different types of aerosols, simultaneously in several American cities, to test how quickly the government could coordinate and administer antibiotics to the affected areas.
The classified drill was designed to identify the government's weaknesses in fighting a biochemical attack. This warning, as recently as Friday, that terrorists are trying everything they can to pull off a non-conventional attack.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY: We know that al Qaeda, if they could get a hold of a chemical or biological or radiological or nuclear weapon, if they could acquire it, build or steal it, they would probably use it.
QUIJANO: The secret drill did show that the government is more prepared for such an attack than it was before September 11th. The progress with security comes as a relief to lawmakers and the former mayor of New York, who was in the bulls eye of that attack two years ago.
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: We're safer today than they were last year at this time.
REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that the al Qaeda threat, which we're chiefly concerned with right now, will remain to that extant forever. I think we'll put it in a bottle and stuff a cork in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, until then, the country remains at a high state of alert, preparing on all levels for another possible attack -- Carol?
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
