I had thought that the National Level Exercise 2010 had been cancelled, but it seems that it was just downsized. If I'm not mistaken, these news articles seem to suggest that the FBI, FEMA, and state and local officials played out the search for and disarmament of an improvised nuclear device in Los Angeles. I can't find any indication that DOD (USNORTHCOM), so maybe they saved a few bucks without losing all of the planning that had gone into the event. But check out the hilarious video! Jack Bauer, they're not. From the UPI:

The exercise that began Monday involves a team of state, local and national agencies dealing with an improvised nuclear bomb planted at the landmark Los Angeles Coliseum.

"Threats involving weapons of mass destruction are complex, and confronting them must be practiced constantly," Assistant Director Steve Martinez, the head of the FBI office in Los Angeles, said.

The FBI says in a written statement the scenario involves finding not only the bomb, but also secondary devices in Los Angeles. Once located, the "bomb" will be disabled and hauled away to a safe location.

If I can piece the exercise plot together, a nuclear weapon detonated in Indianapolis (I guess terrorists hate corn), and then they traveled across the United States to Los Angeles with a second improvised nuclear device. And as they were setting up the second nuke, they decided to emplace a half-dozen radiological dispersion devices around the city. You know, just to spread the panic. It's amazing the ridiculous scenarios that they devise to practice these response drills. But here's the really funny part - the Freedom Watchers were keeping a careful eye on the feds... because you know NLE 2010 was just an exercise to prepare for when they come to take the guns away... no, really.

THIS IS AN ALL-DAY EVENT! OPERATION OVERWATCH: NATIONAL LEVEL EXERCISE* 2010 Keep your eyes peeled & your cameras at the ready! Look for any / all signs of: Troop movements (including foreign troops) Convoys Jet / helicopter "fly-overs" Drones / unmanned aerial vehicles Robots / robotic vehicles "Dog-fights" Paratrooper drops Urban warfare drills FEMA evacuation drills HAZMAT drills Checkpoints Blackouts "Cyber attacks" Communication disruption "Emergency Broadcast System" implementation Etc. ... In laymen's terms: The military & "first responders" are testing their ability to contain & control the nation in the event of a devastating terrorist attack. In short: They are practicing for martial law.

Truly wacko.