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 Bush administration officials raised the national terror alert level from yellow to orange immediately following the president's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. (ABCNEWS.com) |
Back to High Alert
Terror Threat Level Raised to ‘Orange’  March 17
— The Bush administration raised the national terror alert from "elevated" to "high" immediately following the president's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, officials said. |
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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said that intelligence officials believe terrorists will attempt multiple attacks against the United States and its allies in the so-called "coalition of the willing" in the wake of a U.S.-led attack against Saddam Hussein. In a statement, Ridge said reporting from a number of sources indicated that al Qaeda operatives "probably would attempt to launch terrorist attacks against U.S. interests claiming they were defending Muslims or the 'Iraqi people' rather than Saddam Hussein's regime." Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft will hold a news conference on the heightened terror alert Tuesday morning. Operation Liberation Shield As part of the heightened alert, the Department of Homeland Security implemented a new national protective plan called "Operation Liberty Shield," which takes specific measures to protect the nation's critical infrastructures, including increased security at the nation's transportation facilities, borders, airports, and ports. Under "Operation Liberty Shield," several federal agencies are taking new precautions, among them:
Al Qaeda Still a Threat Ridge also stressed that the March 1 arrest of senior al Qaeda operative, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, has put the terror network on the defensive, but that it has not necessarily thwarted attack plans that are already in motion. While intelligence shows that al Qaeda and its supporters are a principle threat to U.S. interests, Ridge said, "Iraqi state agents, Iraqi surrogate groups, other regional extremist organizations, and ad hoc groups or disgruntled individuals not connected to existing organizations or state agencies, may use this time period to conduct terrorist attacks against the U.S., or our interests abroad." As in the last heightened terror alert, Ridge cited recent reports of suspicious activity around military facilities, ports, waterways, and targets that are considered symbolic to U.S. power and influence. He also said that the discovery of ricin production in London and the arrests that followed indicated that extremists may be planning plots against the United States, Britain and other allies and interests in Europe. The alert level was first raised to orange on Feb. 7 and was lowered to "elevated" on Feb. 27, in part because of the end of the Muslim hajj holiday. High alert also prompts additional security measures at public events, restricted access to some facilities, and increased coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
That alert prompted anxious Americans to stock up on water, food and supplies such as duct tape, to seal off rooms in case of a chemical attack. ABCNEWS' Pierre Thomas contributed to this report. |
Every high interest vessel arriving or departing from American ports will have armed Coast Guard sea marshals onboard, closely watching the ship's crew and ensuring that it makes its port call safely. The Coast Guard will enforce security zones in and around critical infrastructure sites in key ports.