To the Point

This is Only a Test of the Homeland Security System

Next week, both Chicago and Seattle will be disrupted by staged catastrophes in the largest domestic security drill in American history. The exercise, called TOPOFF2, features a phony terrorist group called GLODO, a simulated -dirty bomb- attack, and the spread of a fictional biological agent. The phony scenarios will be acted out to test America-s readiness for another attack by terrorists. What-s the risk of another, real attack on American soil? Do first-responders have sufficient funding to combat such an attack? Will TOPOFF2 make the country safer, or is it more drama than substance? We speak with a cold war historian from Whittier College, security and preparedness experts from the Anser Institute and Rand Corporation, and the Mayor of Seattle. Making News: Former FBI Agent Indicted for Sharing National Secrets Former FBI agent James Smith has been indicted in a case that sounds just like a spy novel. The charges stem from his relationship with an alleged double-agent for China. Called -Parlor Maid- by the FBI, she allegedly had simultaneous affairs with Smith and another FBI agent. Andy Murr, who reports from Los Angeles for Newsweek magazine, says yesterday-s six-count indictment could result in a 40-year prison sentence for Smith. Reporter's Notebook: White House Refusal to Release September 11 Information Florida Republican Porter Goss, a retired CIA officer with close ties to the Bush White House, co-chaired a 10-month House Intelligence Committee investigation into the background of September 11. Now, Goss is frustrated that the administration is delaying the release of his findings. Is it a case national security or potential embarrassment? Frank Davies is reporting the story from Washington for the Miami Herald.