[LeArc] Terror Threat Lowered 1/9

[Duane Whittingham]

(Washington-AP, Jan. 9, 2004 UPDATED 11:45 AM)
The Bush administration lowered the national terror alert level Friday as
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said that an urgent threat had passed.

"I know we are all thankful that nothing happened," said Ridge, announcing
the lowering of the threat level at a news conference. However, airports
and airlines will keep their high alert status, said a government official
speaking on condition of anonymity.

During heightened alerts, airports are asked to restrict parking near
terminals if necessary, increase law enforcement patrols of terminals and
perimeters and conduct random checks of vehicles on airport roadways.

Homeland Security ranks threats by colors, starting with green at the
bottom and followed by blue, yellow, orange and red as perceived dangers
intensify. The warning level can be changed for the entire country or for
specific regions and economic sectors.

The level was raised to orange, or the second-highest level, on Dec. 21.
That marked the fifth time the national alert level was raised to orange
since the system was announced in March 2002. It has never dipped below
yellow, representing an "elevated" risk.

Some officials have worried that operatives of the al-Qaida terrorist
network were deliberately trying to spoof U.S. and international
intelligence networks aimed at uncovering terrorist threats, by planting
misinformation on lines of communications they believed were monitored.

However, other U.S. officials said the amount and energy level of the
threatening intelligence were too widespread for this to entirely be a
disinformation campaign.

During the orange alert period, U.S. officials said they were focused on
possible threats to the aviation system, particularly the threat of
overseas flights being hijacked and used in Sept. 11, 2001-style attacks on
American targets.

Security was raised to extraordinary levels over the last several weeks. In
particular, several international flights were canceled and military
helicopters patrolled during the large celebrations on New Year's Eve in
Las Vegas and at Times Square in New York City.

The terror alert has been raised to orange several times since the
color-coded alert system was put in place in early 2002 after the Sept. 11
attacks.

No attacks have taken place on U.S. soil during those orange alerts in the
past.


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Duane Whittingham (N9SSN) - Producer
Tom and Darryl Radio Shows & Saturday Morning Confusion
Heard on C-Band Analog Satellite (W0KIE) - GE7-CH5-7.5 mHz
WTND-LP Macomb 106.3, WQNA FM, WBCQ 7415 kHz & the Internet.
Heard Fridays 9pm ET, Sundays 12am ET and Tuesdays 1am ET
An Independent Freeform Eclectic Radio Show.
http://www.tomanddarryl.org
http://www.wtnd.us