Former Cabinet Members Simulate Oil Crisis

BOSTON — It’s late December 2009.

A simulated cable news network reports, “A brazen terrorist attack left dozens dead.”

A global oil crisis is triggered in Turkey.

“Apprehension about the damage this will cause to international oil markets is rising rapidly,” the news anchor reports.


Terrorists strike with an oil shockwave that sends gas prices up, and the market down.

“As you know there’s a very serious situation evolving in Turkey,” said Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary who is participating in this simulation. “And the president has asked us to come back to him in an hour.”

This is a simulated presidential cabinet. Rubin, Joe Lockhart and five others are all former high-ranking government officials, but they have never faced a crisis quite like this.

WCVB