Dark Winter
About the Exercise
On June 22-23, 2001, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention Terrorism, hosted a senior-level war game examining the national security, intergovernmental, and information challenges of a biological attack on the American homeland. (See also: Dark Winter Script • Article: Shining Light on Dark Winter)
With tensions rising in the Taiwan Straits, and a major crisis developing in Southwest Asia, a smallpox outbreak was confirmed by the CDC in Oklahoma City. During the thirteen days of the game, the disease spread to 25 states and 15 other countries. Fourteen participants and 60 observers witnessed terrorism/warfare in slow motion. Discussions, debates (some rather heated), and decisions focused on the public health response, lack of an adequate supply of smallpox vaccine, roles and missions of federal and state governments, civil liberties associated with quarantine and isolation, the role of DoD, and potential military responses to the anonymous attack. Additionally, a predictable 24/7 news cycle quickly developed that focused the nation and the world on the attack and response. Five representatives from the national press corps (including print and broadcast) participated in the game and conducted a lengthy press conference with the President. See briefing slides.
Key Players
President: The Hon. Sam Nunn
National Security Advisor: The Hon. David Gergen
Director of Central Intelligence: The Hon. R. James Woolsey
Secretary of Defense: The Hon. John White
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff: General John Tilelli (USA, Ret.)
Secretary of Health & Human Services: The Hon. Margaret Hamburg
Secretary of State: The Hon. Frank Wisner
Attorney General: The Hon. George Terwilliger
Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency: Mr. Jerome Hauer
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation: The Hon. William Sessions
Governor of Oklahoma: The Hon. Frank Keating
Press Secretary of Gov. Frank Keating (OK): Mr. Dan Mahoney
Correspondent, NBC News: Mr. Jim Miklaszewski
Pentagon Producer, CBS News: Ms. Mary Walsh
Reporter, British Broadcasting Corporation: Ms. Sian Edwards
Reporter, The New York Times: Ms. Judith Miller
Reporter, Freelance: Mr. Lester Reingold
The players were introduced to this crisis during a National Security Council meeting scheduled to address several emerging crises, including the deployment of a carrier task force to the Middle East. At the start of the meeting, the Director of Health and Human Services informed the President of a confirmed case of smallpox in Oklahoma City. Additional smallpox cases were soon identified in Georgia and Pennsylvania. More cases were reported in Oklahoma. The source of the infection was unknown, and exposure was presumed to have taken place at least nine days earlier due to the lengthy incubation period of smallpox. Consequently, exposed individuals had likely traveled far from the loci of what was now presumed to be a biological attack. The scenario spanned 13 days.
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https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events-archive/2001_dark-winter/about.html