The Jin Hua exercise was held in Kaohsiung City today with several government agencies practicing responses to terrorist explosive attacks, chemical assaults and hostage scenarios. Premier Jiang Yi-huah, who presided over the drill, directed all related agencies and units to beef up their readiness and to raise the public's awareness of these threats.
Taiwan conducts the exercise annually to boost its capabilities to respond to terrorist attacks. After the events of September 11, 2001, nations around the world have heightened their anti-terrorism measures, Jiang said, especially as the attacks are becoming more individualized, localized and cyber in nature. These worrisome trends pose difficult challenges for national security agencies everywhere.
The Jin Hua drill demonstrates Taiwan's preparedness and determination to combat terrorist activities. Nevertheless, response units must be prepared for all contingencies because the actual attacks may well depart from rehearsed conditions and may even come in the form of multiple simultaneous assaults, he added.
Whether the threats are natural or man-made, the units responsible must sharpen their response capabilities and promote their efforts among other agencies to increase public awareness of the threats. Jiang hopes the nation will work together to keep terrorism outside of Taiwan's borders, or if an event were to occur, to respond with composure and coordination.
Today's exercise was conducted by the Executive Yuan's Office of Homeland Security, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of National Defense, Environmental Protection Administration, and Ministry of Health and Welfare in conjunction with the Kaohsiung City Government. Various simulations—including explosive and chemical attacks on large gatherings and mass transportation systems, and bus hijackings resulting in large civilian casualties—tested the agencies' ability to coordinate their operations and handle mass casualties.