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America Heightens Security Alert at Home
Officials across the United States Sunday tightened security in the wake of strikes by the United States and Britain against targets in Afghanistan.
The FBI Sunday issued a directive to law enforcement agencies to go on a higher state of alert and to evaluate security in their areas and act accordingly, though it said there were no specific threats. In the past week, the FBI has quietly begun shifting resources from solving the hijacking assault to preventing more attacks.
Politicians and analysts have called new terror attempts on U.S. targets likely, especially after U.S. retaliation for the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, and a hijacked jet that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Sources tell the press that recently intelligence has received about 200 threats per day, some of which are believed to be credible. There are intelligence reports that extremists are conducting surveillance on American targets overseas.
However, sources stress, the threats have not been specific �� no specific times, no specific places.
New York Sunday went on a "heightened Condition Omega," the highest state of alert ever and one the city had never been on before. Officials also indicated they would place the federal courthouse, where the FBI is located, under a lockdown, severely restricting movement in and near the building.
Later, local authorities moved to what they were calling "Operation Thunderball," deploying 400 National Guard troops at places like bridges and national monuments.
New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had told New Yorkers there would be increased security, additional checkpoints on some roadways in and out of the city, and that New Yorkers should not be alarmed to see armed National Guard troops in some locations. At the George Washington Bridge into New York from New Jersey, commercial vehicles were being directed to the upper roadway for inspection.
Police chiefs in other cities, including Baltimore and Philadelphia, and in Maine, have said they were coming up with their own versions of the New York plans.
Security had already been tightened in many ways across the country.
U.S. officials said they were also increasing security at airports, and also at some dams, nuclear facilities, and water treatment plants.
There is also a project under way to make the windows at the U.S. Capitol more blast resistant, less likely to shatter.
At all U.S. airports since the attack, there has been much more careful monitoring of any items brought onto planes and more air marshals being introduced to flights, curbside check-in has been severely limited, and there have been long lines at security checkpoints.
President Bush Sunday thanked Americans for their "patience" with such delays.
Doctors and other medical professionals have also been boning up on how to spot and treat people in the wake of any biological or chemical attack.
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