Return to Article: Officials fear terrorist attack on U.S. food supply

By Katherine McIntire Peters kpeters@govexec.com June 10, 2003
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    I am in my college course and I have been given a Case. I basically have to think outside the box on if I was in the position adn what I need to do. I am trying to see if things like this has happened and what other alternatives has been done to accomplish this mission. I am working on my Master's in Homeland Security through American Military University. The Following is my CASE Study: CASE 1.

    Problem Statement:

    Two months ago, a special story on TV focused on reports that terrorists were going to contaminate U.S. food supplies. Unfortunately, no details were given on how the terrorists were going to accomplish their goal.

    You are the manager of a supermarket, which is part of a large chain.

    You are sitting at your desk one morning at 10 o?clock when you are told by your assistant that you are wanted on the telephone. You take the call.

    What you hear is the voice of a male, maybe in his early 20?s, with an apparent Middle-eastern accent. That person informs you that some of his associates have just placed some pieces of fresh vegetables in that department in your store, and there is poison in them. He tells you that you had better hurry and find them before someone buys one, eats it, and dies. He tells you that he wants you to find the poisoned vegetables to prove they were poisoned, and will be again, to stop the entire fresh vegetable industry. He laughs, saying that, for a few dollars, he and his associates will cause billions of dollars of losses all over the country. He hangs up.

    Part I.

    Tell me what information I left out that you think that is important to know and any assumptions you want to make.

    Part II.

    Question 1.

    What you do immediately to determine whether or not any vegetables have, in fact, been poisoned?

    Question 2.

    When you have set in motion the process to determine whether or not any vegetables have, in fact, been poisoned, what should your next steps be in terms of trying/helping to apprehend the terrorists? Question 3.

    What do you think the supermarket chain?s corporate policy should be to keep this event from ever happening again?

    SSG Wagers, Donald Posted May 5, 2009 3:17 PM

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Officials fear terrorist attack on U.S. food supply
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