U.S. Response:  White House Raises Alert Level to “Orange”

Following the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the Bush administration yesterday elevated the national terror alert level to “orange,” indicating a high risk of terrorist attacks (see GSN, April 16).

The change in the alert level, which had been previously at “yellow,” or “elevated,” was also based on recent electronic communications intercepted by U.S. intelligence agencies indicating that al-Qaeda or other terrorists might attempt to conduct an attack on the East Coast.  However, there are doubts about the credibility of that information, officials said.

“The United States intelligence community believes that terrorists continue to plan attacks against targets in the United States, and for this reason the alert level has been raised,” Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson said (Philip Shenon, New York Times, May 21).

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge urged Americans to continue with their planned Memorial Day holiday activities, but to remain alert.

“For all Americans, we recommend that you continue with your plans for work or leisure,” Ridge said yesterday.  “However, your vigilance at large public events or other locations where crowds gather can help us disrupt terrorists’ plans.  If you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to contact your local FBI office,” he said.

Shortly before the alert level was raised, the FBI issued a bulletin to U.S. law enforcement agencies that said a terrorist attack in the United States was possible.  The alert said the Saudi Arabia and Morocco attacks might have been “a prelude to an attack on the United States.”

“Although the FBI possesses no information indicating a specific threat in the United States, recipients should remain alert to potential terrorist operations in this country,” the bureau alert said (Mintz/Schmidt, Washington Post, May 21).

Some Bush administration officials said the decision to raise the alert level was based, in part, on a belief that the Saudi Arabia and Morocco bombings were evidence that al-Qaeda has begun a series of attacks to demonstrate that it still exists.

“More than anything else, it’s the belief that if al-Qaeda and its friends could carry out an attack in the United States, they would want to do it now,” a senior Bush administration official said.  “This is an analytical judgment that we’ve entered a dangerous period,” the official added (Shenon, New York Times).

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U.S. Response I:  National Guard Wants to Convert Units to WMD Duty

The U.S. National Guard announced plans Friday to convert medical and engineering units into terrorism-response teams trained to decontaminate victims of chemical or biological attacks, Newhouse News Service reported (see GSN, April 22).

Officials intend to have at least one medical and one engineering team converted to terrorism-response duties for each state.  The units may also be deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or South Korea.

“Governors will want this added capability and I think (overseas) combatant commanders will too,” said Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, the new chief of the National Guard.

Guard officials estimated it would cost $65,000 to train and equip one medical company to perform emergency triage and mass decontamination, and $15,000 to $20,000 to enable an engineering company to do urban search-and-rescue operations, according to Newhouse News Service.

Blum said the moves “are part of our effort to keep the Guard ready, relevant and reliable” (David Wood, Newhouse News Service, May 20).

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U.S. Response II:  Port Security Funds Might Be Diverted

The U.S. Homeland Security Department might redirect millions in port security funds to other efforts, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, April 3).

Operation Safe Commerce, approved by Congress almost a year ago, was intended to give $58 million to New York, Los Angeles and Seattle to track shipping containers.  Those cities are the largest of 361 U.S. seaports and take in 75 percent of cargo containers entering the country each year, according to the Associated Press.

James Loy, head of the Transportation Security Administration, said the program may be cut because of a “structural shortfall” that has resulted in “a billion-dollar hole.”

Last week, during a meeting of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) criticized Loy.

“If you are delaying the release of this money simply so that you can divert it to other causes, that is unacceptable,” Murray told Loy.  “I do not want to see any of that money diverted.  This is what Congress said it was to be spent for,” she added.

Murray also wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

“I have no intention of watching your agency divert funds that are critically needed to ensure the security of our trade lanes in order to make up for the administration’s irresponsible actions in this area,” she wrote (Matthew Daly, Associated Press/Newsday, May 19).

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U.S. Response III:  Foreign Visitors to be Fingerprinted, Photographed

Beginning next year, millions of visitors to the United States will be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter U.S. airports and seaports in an effort to crack down on terrorism, Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson announced yesterday (see GSN, March 28).

The plan, part of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program, is scheduled to begin Jan. 1 and will apply to visitors who are already required to obtain a visa to enter the United States.  About 23 million visitors a year are expected to go through the new entry process.

The United States plans to expand the program later to include land border crossings, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The Homeland Security Department also plans to create an office to review information on suspected visa violations, Hutchinson said.

“Through this virtual border, we will know who violates our entry requirements, who overstays or violates the terms of their stay and who should be welcome again,” Hutchinson said during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Critics, however, said the plan would create long lines and delays at airports and seaports, the Journal reported.  “For countries where visas are required, you’re already looking at an average of four-month delays in getting a visa acted upon by the U.S. government,” said Edmund Rice, president of the Coalition for Employment Through Exports.  “You’re looking at exacerbating an already difficult situation,” he added (Nicholas Kulish, Wall Street Journal, May 20).

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