Coast Guard Blames Media For Potomac Mishap
The Coast Guard conducted a training exercise in the Potomac River near the Pentagon amid Sept. 11 commemorations Friday, sparking confusion that scrambled FBI agents and led the nearest airport to briefly ground flights.
Coast Guard Chief Keith Moore said Friday no shots were fired as part of the exercise in the river. Media reports suggested shots had been fired in the river and showed vessels circling in the water, near the bridge where President Barack Obama’s motorcade passed as he traveled to a Sept. 11 memorial at the Pentagon Friday morning.
In a statement released by the Coast Guard, officials said the problem arose when media reporters overheard radio calls made during the training exercise:
“We are still gathering information of how this training event might have been misconstrued as an actual incident. We will conduct a thorough review of this incident.
“There were Coast Guard boats were operating in the vicinity of 14th Street and Memorial Bridges this morning. Whether or not these were th