Hollywood think-tank creating terror scenarios for Army

ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, October 10, 2001

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Some of the filmmakers who craft tales of violence and terrorism for Hollywood are helping the U.S. Army prepare for deadly reality.

A group of entertainment professionals has been hired to work up scenarios for possible future terrorist attacks.

The group was assembled through the Institute for Creative Technologies, a University of Southern California think tank that works on virtual training programs for the Army.

"In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Army and USC's ICT have worked together to coordinate ongoing panel discussions with some of Hollywood's top talent," the center said in a statement Tuesday.

The group will brainstorm possible terrorist plots against American targets.

The Army declined to provide specifics about the work or to name members of the group. The trade paper Daily Variety said it included Steven E. De Souza, who co-wrote the 1988 hit "Die Hard," a movie about a Los Angeles office building commandeered by terrorists.

De Souza, through the Writers Guild of America, declined to answer questions.

The military has a long history of working with filmmakers, said Michael Macedonia, chief scientist for the Army's Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command, based in Orlando, Fla.

"You're talking screenwriters and producers, that's one of the things that they're paid to do every day -- speculate," he said in a telephone interview.

"These are very brilliant, creative people. They can come up with fascinating insights very quickly."

And, he added, "They are some of the biggest patriots I've met."

The Army doesn't know if the terrorism scenarios will prove useful, because it normally takes "several months to over a year" for such projects to be completed, Macedonia said.

Some of those involved worked on earlier Army projects, he added.

The Institute for Creative Technologies was founded in 1999 with a $45 million Army grant. The research and development operation creates virtual reality and simulation technologies for training troops.

"Part of this program involves creating scenarios that soldiers might face in combat," USC said in a statement. "Terrorism is obviously something that Army personnel must confront."


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