Homeland Security drills and exercises

The following is a listing of Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security drills and exercises.

SourceWatch Resources

• Dark Winter exercise
• Dirty Bomb scenario
• Homeland defense
• Homeland security
• Silent Vector exercise
• TOPOFF
• Weapons of mass destruction

External links

Websites

• The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program, Office for Domestic Preparedness, Department of Justice.
• TOPOFF 2 Media: National Combatting Terrorism Exercise web site.
• TOPOFF 3 Press Kit, Department of Homeland Security.

Articles & Commentary

2002

• "U.S. to create North American command zone,", CBC News, April 17, 2002. re U.S. Northern Command (created before announcement below of homeland security plan).
• "Bush Unveils Homeland Security Plan," Fox News, July 16, 2002.

2003

• Jon Dougherty, "Terror alerts manufactured? FBI agents say White House scripting 'hysterics' for political effect," WorldNetDaily, January 4, 2003.
• Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr., "Pentagon war game simulations grow more complex," GovExec.com, April 11, 2003.
• "Homeland Security Exercise Focuses On Chemical Weapon Terrorism," The Chattanoogan (Tennessee), May 2, 2003.
• "Radiological and Bioterror-Attack Exercise Starts May 12 (2003) in Chicago and Seattle, Defenselink.
• Amelia Gruber, "Terrorism response drill begins next week," GovExec.com, May 5, 2003.
• Matthew Daly, "Huge homeland security drill planned in Seattle," Associated Press (azcentral), May 5, 2003.
• "TOPOFF 2" - Week-Long National Combating Terrorism Exercise Begins May 12, 2003," Department of Homeland Security, May 5, 2003.
• Siobhan Gorman and Marilyn Werber Serafini, "Critics question value of huge homeland security exercise," GovExec.com, May 9, 2003.
• "US launches homeland security drill, with mock devastation in Seattle," Agence France-Presse, May 12, 2003.
• Gene Johnson, "Homeland Security Drill Starts in Seattle," Associated Press (Yahoo! News), May 13, 2003.
• "Security drill launched, fake dirty bomb explodes in Seattle," Agence France-Presse, May 13, 2003.
• "Officials gear up for major terrorism exercise in Nevada," Associated Press (Reno Gazette-Journal), July 11, 2003.
• "Ridge: Blackout Was 'Initial Test' for Homeland Security System," Associated Press (Fox News), August 19, 2003.
• Philip Shenon, "Terrorism Drills Showed Lack of Preparedness, Report Says," New York Times, December 19, 2003: "A classified Bush administration report has found that the largest counterterrorism exercise conducted by the federal government since the Sept. 11 attacks was marred by communications problems, serious shortages of medical supplies and hospital rooms and confusion over where the residue of a radiological attack would spread, administration officials said on Thursday. ... The five-day exercise last May in Chicago and Seattle, known as Topoff 2, tested the response of federal agencies and local governments to nearly simultaneous terrorist attacks using biological agents and a so-called dirty bomb, a crude radiological device."
• Kurt Nimmo, "Bogus Terror Threats and Bush's Police State," Dissident Voice, December 29, 2003.

2004

• Naomi Klein, "The Year of the Fake," The Nation, January 8, 2004 (January 26, 2004 issue).
• "Virginia to host terrorism drill. The drill, alled "Determined Promise 04," will begin Wednesday and run through next Tuesday, August 10th," Associated Press (WFLS News), August 2, 2004.
• Michael D. Shear, "Va. Terror Drills Set Up Worst-Case Scenarios," Washington Post, August 3, 2004.
• Mike O'Sullivan, "Five-Day Exercise Simulates Coordinated Terror Attacks," Voice of America, August 5, 2004.
• Lt. Gen. John O'Connell, "Operation Ardent Sentry," eNEWS, September 22, 2004: "Ardent Sentry will be the next major NORTHCOM exercise planned for April 05. It is expected to be the world’s largest-ever terrorism drill. It will involve simulated biological attacks and chemical attacks on New Jersey and Connecticut. The United Kingdom will also be involved and this exercise will require a coordinated worldwide effort. NJ and CT will be the first! on the scene but the scope of the exercise will quickly consume their resources and I am sure the entire region will be involved."

2005

• Andy Giegerich, "Homeland Security exercise loses steam," Portland Business Journal (Oregon), March 18, 2005: "The city of Portland's ongoing budget struggles could threaten its status as a host for a major Homeland Security Department exercise in 2007." Re TOPOFF 4.
• Pam Zubeck, "NORAD at turning point in mission," U.S. Air Force AIM Points (The [Colorado Springs, CO] Gazette), March 29, 2005.
• Michel Chossudovsky, "Is America Preparing for Martial Law?" Global Research (Canada), April 10, 2005: "The Department of Homeland Security recently carried out an extensive anti-terrorist exercise entitled TOPOFF 3 (April 4-8, 2005) ... described by officials as 'a multilayered approach to improving North American security'. ... The stated objective of the TOPOFF 3 'Full Scale Exercise' was to 'prepare America' in the case of an actual bioterrorism attack by Al Qaeda."
• Pam Zubeck, "Anti-terror cooperation urged," The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO), May 4, 2005. TOPOFF 3: "The Department of Homeland Security exercise, the most comprehensive antiterrorism drill conducted in the United States, was held in New Jersey and Connecticut with cooperation from Canada and the United Kingdom. Roughly 300 agencies took part."
• News Release: "Exercise to focus on nuclear terror scenario," NORTHCOM, July 29, 2005: "Sudden Response 05 will take place this August on Fort Monroe [Virginia] and will be carried out as an internal command post exercise."
• Bradley Graham, "War Plans Drafted To Counter Terror Attacks in U.S. Domestic Effort Is Big Shift for Military," Washington Post, August 8, 2005.
• "Military eyes domestic terror response," UPI (Washington Times), August 8, 2005.
• Patrick Martin, "Pentagon devising scenarios for martial law in US," wsws.org, August 9, 2005.