Officials to probe color-coded terror alert system

AP ^ | July 14th, 2009 | EILEEN SULLIVAN

[stevie_d_64]

WASHINGTON – The Homeland Security Department will review and possibly replace the often-ridiculed multicolored terror alert system created after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Since it was created in 2002, the system has been confusing and became the butt of jokes by late-night television comics.

Critics have said assigning different categories to different colors is too vague an approach to deliver enough information to be useful. And Democrats said the Bush administration used it for political manipulation.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appointed a task force Tuesday to determine in 60 days how effective the current system is.

"My goal is simple: to have the most effective system in place to inform the American people about threats to our country," Napolitano said in a statement.

The 17-member task force consists of Democrats and Republicans and will be chaired by former FBI Director William Webster and the former White House homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend.

The system which goes from green, signaling a low danger of attack, to red, signaling a severe threat of attack, could get an overhaul — or could be eliminated entirely.

[gdc314]

I never thought the color code system was meant to be meaningful to the public, though it was often reported as news, but the use was primarily for military and domestic security alert/staffing/staging conditions.

[stevie_d_64]

If it effects the government, anything they can do to protect their own hides, dispite the public they will do so at our inconvienience and expense...

If it is something that the people need, then it is a slow process, if not outright ignored until enough people scream about it, or deaths are involved...

Just my opinion...Not sure if anyone out there believes as I do...

[housemouse 1]

i for one agree with you and so does my husband