School officials told to be on lookout for spying

MSNBC ^ | Oct. 7, 2004

[Pfesser]

Federal alert comes amid heightened concern of terror attack
WASHINGTON - The Education Department has alerted school leaders nationwide to watch for people spying on their buildings as a possible sign of a terrorist threat.

The warning is based on an analysis by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department of the school siege that killed nearly 340 people, many of them students, in Russia last month...

In particular, schools have been told to watch for activities that may be legitimate on their own — but may suggest a heightened terrorist threat if there are many of them.

Among those activities:

Interest in obtaining site plans for schools, bus routes and attendance lists. Prolonged “static surveillance” by people disguised as panhandlers, shoe shiners, newspaper or flower vendors or street sweepers not previously seen in the area. Observations of security drills. People staring at or quickly looking away from employees or vehicles as they enter or leave parking areas.

Foot surveillance of campuses involving individuals working together.

The effort is the latest by the Education Department and other federal agencies to encourage school officials to maintain and practice a plan for responding to emergencies.

After the terrorist takeover of the Russian school, President Bush asked his top advisers to review their strategies for dealing with hostage situations, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Islamofascists should be aware that if American school children are targeted, Mecca will be vaporized.

[Always Right]

I think if the radical Islams went this far, there would be public support for nuking some places.

[z3n]

I personally think that administrators should take some time and consider the floorplan of their building(s) in terms of how terrorists would view it, or in other words, how good a candidate it would be for a seige (capturing and holding).

Buildings with many branched wings and distant and various points of entry/egress would be poor candidates. Buildings with Isolated and centralized locations that can be secured by limited personel should be a cause for precaution.

[maestro]

Anything for money,....$$$$$$$$$$$.......Drug dealers too?

/sarcasm

[nmh]

LOvely!

[End Times Sentinel]

It's a scary thought, but there's not really much to stop it from happening.  I think about that possibility every time I drop my daughter off at school.  During arrival and release there's Police on hand, but in the middle of the day, there's not much deterrent.

Owl_Eagle

Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow

-John Kerry

 

[ElkGroveDan]

It can't happen in this country. The liberals have made it illegal to posses a gun within a thousand feet of a school. So the terrorists would be thwarted. Right?

[camboianchristmas]

I agree completely though I am not naturally so gung-ho on using nukes. But we could threaten those pigs with complete obliteration of their holy land. That could very well be a deterrent since Bush has proven that he is not all "tough talk".

[plain talk]

I don't. Nuke what? There would be public support for dramatic action but nukes aren't a play for this. That's cold war thinking. Different enemy requires different tactics.

[leadpenny]

They have gone this far - just not here yet.

[camboianchristmas]

That goes along with the nuclear free zones that some cities have instituted. As if these laws would prevent even one person bent on reeking havoc and devastation from firing a nuke within that city's limits. Lib logic :0)

[Always Right]

I don't. Nuke what?

Iran, Pakistan, Syria. Draw straws, ask questions later. A slaughter of children would demand an extreme response. The response would not be nuclear, but there would be 30% or more that would support it.

[leadpenny]

Since Beslan, if local and state school officials have been doing nothing, waiting for words from DHS, people should be fired. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see that contingency plans needed to be made.

[Terpesman]

It can't happen in this country. The liberals have made it illegal to posses a gun within a thousand feet of a school. So the terrorists would be thwarted.

---

Now THAT is funny!

[Fintan]

Geez, PMSNBC actually allowed the use of the word "terrorist"...I suspect some copy editor is out of a job.

 

[Rakkasan1]

sure glad the left in MN added banning the good guys from
carrying guns in schools.My kids feel safer now.
<sarcasm

[jackmercer]

Nuke Mecca and Medina both! Muhammed already set the precident for burning those two cities over 1300 years ago. He did in the name of Islam, we should do it in the name of preemption.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Islamofascists should be aware that if American school children are targeted, Mecca will be vaporized.***

Preferably with a ground burst so as to make the place "safe" for future "pilgrims" for about 1000 years.