Press Office

[JohnFKennedy]

This is the Press Office, all Press releases will come from here, everybody is welcome to post a question to me here (including the press) as this is to let you know anything you need to know.

[JohnFKennedy]

A speech from the President regarding the explosion at a Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Texas is due shortly. (Within the next few days - Sorry, I have been very busy lately, I just started back at school)

[JohnFKennedy]

*Aide comes out*

We apologise that the President has yet to make a speech, this is owing to recent unforeseen technical problems (my internet went down from Friday till today)

We thank you for waiting patiently, we expect the President any moment now.

*Aide leaves*

[JohnFKennedy]

*President steps up to the lectern/podium*

Good Evening Atlasians,

As I am sure you are all aware by now, there was an explosion at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Big Hill, Texas.

We can now release information that this was not an accident, but an attack by an as-yet unknown source.

We believe that the device used was an incendiary device meant to destroy our reserves, and, as we speak the FEMA and OSWER are acting to control the fires that started as a result of the explosion. Progress is good and we believe the situation to be currently under control.

We believe this to be a co-ordinated attack as three other incendiary devices of the same design have been discovered in other cylinders at the Big Hill site. All three have been removed and taken to a secure location by the ATF. Two have been disarmed.

We are following all leads and the FBI will be working with regional authorities in the investigation.

Guards have been dispatched to the other three Strategic Petroleum reserves, one in Texas and the other two in Louisiana. These will be similarly checked.

We are unsure of the source of this attack but I promise that this administration will not sleep until we can discover the source and track it down.

Meanwhile we have drafted a number of bills to be submitted regarding the skyrocketing prices of oil. We intend to make every attempt to rectify the problem and stabilise the economy.

Our measures will include the development and creation of new oil refineries to allow us to refine crude oil faster to help get it on the market as quickly as possible and in as great a quantity as is needed. The current refineries cannot handle the workload as no new refineries have been built in over twenty years.

The administration is pleased with the measures taken so far and would like to thank Governor htmldon - under whose jurisdiction the Strategic Petroleum Reserves stand - for his swift response.

I would like to personally commend Secretary of Defence John Ford and Attorney General Ernest for their integral advice and excellent work on this issue.

I urge the public not to be scared as everything is under control at this moment.

I will now take any questions the Press have for me, though I do reserve the right not to comment on some if I see the information they wish me to disclose as jeopardizing the nation's security or jeopardizing the safety of any member of the public or this administration.

Are there any questions?

[Hermit]

Mr President! Hermit, with The Chronicle. Do you think this is the first of a wave of attacks? And does the target being a Petroleum reserve indicate that the terrorists are now attacking America's infostructure?

[JohnFKennedy]

Mr President! Hermit, with The Chronicle. Do you think this is the first of a wave of attacks? And does the target being a Petroleum reserve indicate that the terrorists are now attacking America's infostructure?

We have no indications as of yet that this is the first of a wave of attacks, no.

We do not know the source of this attack so I will not comment on your second questions as we have yet to confirm which, if any, terrorist organization co-ordinated the attack.

[ilikeverin]

Mr. President!  Ilikeverin, from the Chronicle.  Do you have any information on the devices themselves?  Where they remotely blown up?  Do they have any 'hallmarks' of any person or organization?  What's the status of the fourth device {clarification: the one that did not blow up but has not been defused}?

[JohnFKennedy]

We believe the devices to have been timer set to blow up more or less simultaneously or within one day of each other. I have not yet received clarification on the fourth device.

I would also like to state we do have a lead on this and are following it up as we speak.