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U.S. Terror Alert Raised To 'High Risk'

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  • U.S. Terror Alert Raised To 'High Risk'

    WASHINGTON (Feb. 7) - The Bush administration Friday raised the national terror alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest level in the color-coded system. Attorney General John Ashcroft cited an ''increased likelihood'' that the al-Qaida terror network would attack Americans, either at home or abroad.

    Ashcroft said apartment buildings, hotels or other ''lightly secured targets'' in the United States could be vulnerable. The attorney general also said terrorists might seek ''economic targets, including the transportation and energy sectors, as well as symbolic targets and symbols of American power.''

    He told a Justice Department news conference the decision was based on an increase in intelligence pointing to a possible attack by Osama bin Laden's organization timed to coincide with the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Islam's holiest site. The holy period begins Saturday and ends mid-February.

    Tens of thousands of pilgrims are traveling during the period before and after the five-day Hajj, straining the ability of security officials to keep track of militants who might use the occasion to reposition themselves.

    The change in the alert level will trigger a government-wide increase in security precautions.

    ''We are not recommending that events be canceled,'' nor should individuals change their travel, work or recreational plans, Ashcroft said.

    Even so, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge urged Americans ''in the days ahead, take some time to prepare for emergencies.'' As an example, Ridge suggested that families devise plans for contacting one another if separated by an emergency.

    ''Terrorist attacks can really take many forms,'' he said.

    White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the decision to raise the alert level was made after the president's daily CIA and FBI briefings and upon the recommendation of Ashcroft and Ridge. That recommendation was delivered after the homeland security council spent over an hour poring over new intelligence in the White House situation room.

    When given the recommendation, Bush said, ''I agree. Change the code,'' according to Fleischer.

    The alert has been at code yellow, or ''elevated,'' which is the middle of a five-point scale of risk developed after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. It was last raised to orange in September and stayed there for two weeks to coincide with the first anniversary of the attacks. The highest alert level is red.

    Ashcroft said there was a ''sound basis'' for the decision. However, he declined to go beyond that.

    ''This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community. This information has been corroborated by multiple intelligence sources,'' Ashcroft said.

    Other officials said U.S. preparation for a possible war with Iraq was also a factor in the decision to raise the alert status.

    ''Since September the 11th, the U.S. intelligence community has indicated that the al-Qaida terrorist network is still determined to attack innocent Americans, both here and abroad,'' Ashcroft said.

    He said the recent bombings of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, and of a resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, ''demonstrate the continued willingness of al-Qaida to strike at peaceful, innocent civilians.''

    Ashcroft also said the global terror network could even try to mount a chemical, biological or radiological attack.

    Ridge said local and state law enforcement agencies, the nation's governors, many mayors and Congress had been informed in the change in the alert status. ''We're asking all these leaders to increase their security and vigilance wherever necessary,'' he said.

    Ridge outlined the threat Friday morning in a conference call with the nation's governors, urging them to increase their security efforts and discussing confidential security precautions. He also plans to talk to congressional leaders and to several dozen business leaders who control critical infrastructure, which could include electric power grids, dams or nuclear plants.

    The public will likely see some changes, such as delays at some facilities and events and some buildings will be harder to enter. Other precautions, however, will be secret and go largely unnoticed by most people.

    Examples cited by Fleischer included more random inspections of baggage at airports, tighter scrutiny at U.S. orders and more checks of cargo coming into U.S. ports.

    Government officials have grown increasingly concerned about the likelihood of terrorist attacks within the United States as intelligence sources are reporting an increase in terrorist activity or ''chatter.'' One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this activity appeared to be peaking and was rivaling that seen before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

    Officials are increasingly worried that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups might try to use chemical, biological or radiological weapons such as a ''dirty bomb'' that spews radiation into the atmosphere over a relatively confined area. There is no evidence, they say, that al-Qaida has acquired nuclear weapons but there is ample proof that it was working with a variety of harmful substances.

    There is also concern that individual al-Qaida member or sympathizers could attempt small-scale attacks, such as a shooting or suicide bombing.

    The State Department on Thursday issued a worldwide caution to Americans about a greater risk of terrorism, including ''suicide operations, assassinations or kidnappings'' as well as use of chemical or biological agents.

  • #2
    AVIANO, Italy (Feb. 7) - The United States does not expect a possible war with Iraq to last long and is not planning to mobilize all its reservists, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday on the first leg of a European tour.

    Addressing hundreds of U.S. troops at an air base near the northern Italian town of Aviano, Rumsfeld said growing numbers of allies were ready to join ''a coalition of the willing'' and disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by force, if necessary.

    ''It is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months,'' he told troops and air crews gathered in a cavernous hangar.

    ''You are what stands between freedom and fear. ... The hopes of mankind depend on your success,'' he said, with a massive U.S. flag hanging behind the podium.

    Rumsfeld flew into Rome earlier in the day at the start of a three-day visit to Europe aimed at whipping up support for a possible attack on Iraq, with France and Germany still reluctant to endorse any military action.

    ''The patience of the world is nearing its end,'' he said after meeting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has proved one of Washington's staunchest supporters over the crisis.

    Rumsfeld's trip comes as the United States accelerates the build-up of forces in the Gulf, with defense officials announcing Friday that it planned to dispatch a fifth aircraft carrier to the region to bolster available fire power.

    The U.S. military has so far summoned nearly 10 percent of some 1.2 million U.S. reservists to active duty -- the largest such activation since the 1991 Gulf War.

    ''It is highly unlikely that we would go to a full mobilization,'' Rumsfeld said Friday before traveling to Munich, Germany, where he will address a security conference and meet the defense ministers of Germany, Russia and other countries.

    TIME RUNNING OUT, RUMSFELD SAYS

    Germany, Russia and France want U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq to be given more time to carry out their checks. Rumsfeld said he appreciated concerns over the use of force, but said time was of the essence.

    ''The urgency comes with the reality that every week and month that goes by (Saddam's) chemical and biological weapons programs are more advanced and the risk of their use becomes greater,'' he said.

    Rumsfeld said he did not expect to win over Germany, but said other reluctant allies, including Turkey, would probably back the United States.

    ''I suspect that when all is said and done, Turkey will be helpful and will be with us,'' he said.

    Rumsfeld infuriated Germany earlier this week by saying the country's anti-war stance put it on a par with Libya and Cuba. Friday he insisted that he had not meant to cause any upset.

    ''There are obviously enormous differences between those countries that are opposed to U.S. efforts on Iraq, just as there are differences that exist between those countries that have offered support the U.S.,'' he said.

    Rumsfeld's trip comes on the heels of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the Security Council Wednesday during which he argued Iraq had concealed weapons of mass destruction in violation of a unanimous U.N. resolution.

    Chief U.N. arms inspector Hans Blix said in Vienna Friday that Iraq appeared to be cooperating with U.N. teams in the country hunting banned weapons, but it had to do more.

    Blix travels to Baghdad over the weekend with Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, before they present a new report to the United Nations on Feb. 14.

    Comment


    • #3
      6 months? Who are they kidding. The estimated costs for a war with Iraq is $1 billion per month. Also seen on TV the other day that Iraq has around 500-700 tons of Biological weapons.

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      • #4
        I don't know if they will have time to use those.

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        • #5
          You mean the biological weapons? They used them in the Persian Gulf war plus they are supposed to be mobile. Supposedly they move them around from place to place a lot. Still don't think we got Bin Laden and believe he's taking the low road right now.

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          • #6
            I just think we will hit them so fast that they won't have a clue what happened. This might only take 6 days. With all the images we can get from space and the laser guided bombs. There should be a good number of things destroyed before they can get there shit together. IMO

            rj

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            • #7
              The main problem that I see is that we always let them know when we are coming for some reason. Why don't we do a Pearl Harbor on them.

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              • #8
                I totally agree. Hopefully this one will be different, but somehow I don't think so. Too much CNN.

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                • #9
                  A big problem with the U. S. is that they want to limit strikes to military targets only, with minimum collateral damge. Iraq knows this and have probably stashed their best equipemnt in the population areas. A quick war? No such thing. This one could turn ugly real fast.

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                  • #10
                    The US will liberate Iraq within 6 weeks or less.

                    Iraqi soldiers will surrender in droves and the Iraqi people will be dancing in the streets.

                    Saddam may even cut a deal to allow his exile without prosecution for war and civilian crimes, to stop the war before it starts.

                    Democracy will come to Iraq and dictatorships in Arab nations will be scared to death of Democracy's spread in the Mideast.

                    Arafat will be scared and will give up his terrorist industry and accept peace with Israel.

                    Bush will be acknowledged as being a genius and will be re-elected.

                    Liberals will be greatly saddened over these events.
                    sigpic

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