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Calendar Offers Helpful Hints on What to Do in Case of Terror

By Jeff Bliss

June 15 (Bloomberg) -- June 17 is more than just Father's Day.

It's also the third anniversary of a deadly attack in Baghdad, when al-Qaeda terrorists killed 35 people and wounded 138, according to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center's 2007 calendar. The slick, free daily planner offers facts on everything from terrorists' methods and the blasting power of explosives to symptoms of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis.

The calendar is part of a public-relations campaign by America's usually secretive spy agencies to explain what they do and what they're up against, following a series of reports faulting them for failing to thwart the Sept. 11 attacks and exaggerating Iraq's prewar weapons programs.

``It isn't just for government bureaucrats; it's for the guy on the street,'' said Neal B., the calendar's coordinator, during an interview at the center's Northern Virginia headquarters.

Openness has its limits: Neal B., like everyone associated with the calendar, declined to give his last name. And the center's precise location also can't be identified.

Wine and Sushi

The center, established by President George W. Bush in 2004 to track and disrupt international terrorist groups, is holding wine-and-sushi receptions at its headquarters, where reporters mingle with senior intelligence officials.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which provides maps for combat troops, is going even further and will engage the public directly by sending speakers to community groups.

``We will proactively reach out to the Kiwanis and Rotarians,'' said David Burpee, an agency spokesman.

The terror calendar may be the intelligence agencies' biggest p.r. success so far. In 10 years, it has evolved from a no-frills wall version to a sought-after, 142-page resource.

To keep up with growing demand from law-enforcement, intelligence and diplomatic officials in 32 countries, the center printed 30,000 copies this year, 10,000 more than in 2006, said Liz G., who helps manage distribution.

Those copies aren't available to the public because some might question spending government money to give such information to people who aren't employed fighting terrorists, Neal B. said.

Download

Still, anyone can download the calendar at http://www.nctc.gov/docs/ct_calendar_2007.pdf . In April alone, the site got 3,000 hits, according to the counterterrorism center. The center is also developing a multimedia Web site that links calendar information to other government Web sites.

Neal B. said the hope is that the calendar and site will result in tips leading to the arrest of terror suspects.

The calendar is a primer on the world of terrorism. Suspected al-Qaeda operative Faker Ben Abdelazziz Boussora has protruding ears and a serious pituitary-gland illness, according to the calendar; his colleague, Adnan El Shukrijumah, is an asthmatic with a pronounced nose.

One helpful chart points out that phosgene, a poisonous industrial gas, has the smell of freshly mowed hay, while lewisite, a chemical-warfare agent that blisters the skin, disperses in a geranium-scented cloud.

Biological-Attack Signs

The calendar advises that you may be experiencing a biological attack if you notice an ``unscheduled or unusual spray being disseminated'' or ``unusual numbers of sick and dying people or animals.''

Different bombs require different evacuations, the calendar advises. A pipe bomb necessitates an 850-foot sprint, while a 60,000-pound explosive device big enough to fill a semi-trailer requires fleeing 1.3 miles.

If this information isn't gripping enough, there's page after page recalling bloody anniversaries. The week of March 25 is typical in its carnage, featuring three separate attacks that Israel suffered in 2002:

March 27 -- a suicide bomber killed 29 and wounded 140.

March 30 -- a suicide bomber killed 1 and wounded 30.

March 31 -- a suicide bomber killed 15 and wounded 40.

The calendar refers only to the most prominent attacks, said Mitch F., the publication's editor. ``For some days, we have too many things to put in,'' he said.

Neal B. said the calendar's death tolls and bomb tip sheets don't make him any more anxious than usual because it's a world he has inhabited throughout his 38-year government career. A classified version of the calendar would be even scarier, he said. ``This is nothing.''