De-banged in D.C.

Further to 2) at this post, the idea of setting off mock explosions in the heart of the U.S. capital didn't really seem like a terribly bright idea:

A planned Canadian military demonstration that would have included simulated bomb blasts within blocks of the White House and the Capitol, has been scaled back after media reports focused on the explosive elements.

The Canadian Embassy had planned to simulate the detonation of an improvised explosive device several times over two days starting Sept. 23 to demonstrate what life is like in war-torn Afghanistan and how Canadian forces there respond with medical help...

Especially with this now in mind:

For Coast Guard and CNN, an Exercise in Embarrassment