Interpol plans bioterrorism exercise

LYON, France, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Interpol announced plans for a two-day exercise simulating a global bioterrorism attack and its aftermath in France.

Interpol officials say participants in the exercise will face a fictional plague attack with assistance from 10 countries in an effort to identify critical cooperation and coordination issues necessary in a response.

"Bioterrorism is the perfect storm of opportunity and motivation and we would be mistaken in treating a worst-case scenario as a remote possibility," Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble said in a statement.

"This exercise will help focus our joint understanding of the role and responsibility of each of us -- police, health care professionals, experts -- in response to a bioterrorism incident, as well as identifying possible gaps or redundancies so that we can draw lessons from them."

Officials say law enforcement officials from nine countries and representatives from the European Council, Europol, several U.N. organizations among others will take part in the exercise. Barry Kellman, legal adviser to Interpol's bioterrorism prevention unit, will moderate the exercise.