By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The Coast Guard is claiming that a round of shots fired at a boat on the Potomac this morning was a training exercise. The incident occurred moments before President Barack Obama’s motorcade was scheduled to cross one of the river’s bridges.
CNN reported the story this morning, causing a near panic in Washington DC on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon and World Trade Towers. Initial media reports said shots were fired in the river and that vessels were circling in the water near the bridge where the President’s motorcade passed as he traveled to the Pentagon for a wreath laying ceremony.
These reports prompted a halt on departures from Reagan National Airport for less than 30 minutes before a Coast Guard spokesman said the incident was merely a training exercise.
WSBtv.com reports that a law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said federal agents scrambled to the river scene after the initial reports, because the local FBI office had not been told ahead of time about the exercise. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the incident.
Coast Guard spokesman John Edwards said that as part of its exercise Friday, the Coast Guard aired simulated instructions to participants to fire 10 rounds. But Edwards said there were no shots actually fired and there were no suspicious boats.
Fox News is reporting that Capt. Raymond Brown, former chief of intelligence analysist for the Coast Guard, said it was unlikely that such an exercise would have been approved by an operational commander.
“More likely, it would be a dumb decision made by someone at a much lower level,” he said.
The Pentagon confirmed that it did not approve the exercise and was caught by surprise.
However, suspicion remains as to why no one knew about a Coast Guard training exercise involving radio calls about shots fired in the Potomac River on the anniversary of 9/11 and just moments before President Barack Obama’s motorcade crosses one of the river’s bridges.
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