In spite of Bermuda's proximity to the US, it would be easy to be lulled into thinking that a terrorist attack could never happen here.

But the bombing on the other side of the world in a disco in Bali, Indonesia should be a forcible reminder that terror can happen anywhere, and Bermuda is as good a target as any.

An editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently said: "Because the terror attacks of 9/11 occurred on US soil, Americans could be forgiven for thinking that international terrorism is mostly a battle between the United States and the shadow figures of al-Qaeda - and it is only the world stage that provides the international dimension. The bombing on Saturday of a night club in Bali shows that terrorists are not so discriminating; any Westerners can find themselves targets."

The same is true of Bermuda, which is a symbol of the success of the western way of life. With an enviable standard of living and an economy which benefits from the global economy and tourism, it could well be seen as a ripe target for al-Qaeda or other organisations.

Alternatively, a hijacked airliner could easily end up in Bermuda as a stopping point between Europe and Africa and the Americas.

That's why the exercise taking place this weekend is so important; Bermuda's security forces need to test their readiness for any sort of terrorist incident.

It's unlikely that they will come out of the test without having made nay mistakes. Exercises of this kind shoud be designed to find weaknesses to that they can be addressed.

The Bali incident shows that anywhere is vulnerable to attack; denying the possibility is the worst possible approach and in that sense the Government is right to be examining how Bermuda might be attacked.

"For its part, the Indonesian government has been forced to drop its denial of the terrorism problem within its territories," the newspaper said. "The bomb in Bali echoes around the world, teaching the bitter lesson that international terrorism is indeed that."