Washington City Paper: Contents for Mar. 14

Margin of Terror
In the two years since the Tokyo subway incident, local and federal officials have had a chance to prepare Washington for a devastating chemical or biological attack. So why haven't they?

Cover Story

March 20, 1997. 5:59 p.m.: The man looks no different from any other government lawyer trudging in and out of Metro Center. Suit, tie, grimace. Carrying a large, heavy suitcase, he seems to be on his way to Union Station for a business trip. No one looks closely enough to see the hundred tiny holes punched in the suitcase.

He waits until the floor lights begin flashing, then says a final prayer to himself. He rests the suitcase on the platform, reaches inside, and flicks on a small battery-powered fan screwed to one side. Its quiet whir is lost in the shuffle. He closes the case and then pushes down on the modified handle, poking holes in the bloated plastic bag that's also in the case. A concentrated chemical gas seeps from the bag, and the fan blows it through the perforations.

The Red Line train glides in, swooshing the invisible aerosol throughout the station. No can sense anything yet. "Doors closing," the electronic Metro lady says.

A few minutes later, as these commuters arrive at Dupont Circle, it hurts them to breathe. Suddenly, everyone is talking about the same thing. By Woodley Park, their nostrils sting, then bleed, and people scream at the sight of the blood. Some rush from the train, and the Woodley station manager frantically calls 911. The confused driver steps from the train holding a reddened tissue to her face.... Continued

Issue of Mar. 14 - 20, 1997

News and Features

Margin of Terror
In the two years since the Tokyo subway incident, local and federal officials have had a chance to prepare Washington for a devastating chemical or biological attack. So why haven't they?
Cover Story By John Cloud
Search Party
Debby Rosenberg's three-year quest for her missing mother-in-law ends happily.
The City By Stephanie Mencimer
Top of the Heap
A cheat sheet on winning the prestigious cabbie-of-the-month award.
The City By Jeffrey Itell
Bottled Fury
Trants liquor store on Capitol Hill serves controversy by the half-pint.
The City By Paul Belden
The Odds
The City By Judith Larsen
Duck Season
The Mail By Jerome B. Meadows
Statue Limitations
The Mail By Ann Daschel
1,000 Words?
The Mail By Katharyn Bine
Lunacy
The Mail By David Nather