Free Republic

WASHINGTON – By the end of April, terror threats to the U.S. will no longer be described in shades of green, blue, yellow, orange and red, The Associated Press has learned.

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday spelled out a key concession he is demanding from Democrats before signing any resurrected legislation that would give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver licenses. "I've already made it very clear that it has to be a different color driver's license so it's very clear it says foreigner or immigrant," the Republican governor said. Schwarzenegger's demand for a different-colored license could be troublesome for Democrats who feel it is discriminatory. They have reluctantly explored less-visible ways to distinguish licenses, such as a different sequence of numbers, a code embedded in the magnetic strip...

HERNDON, Va. (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Friday warned top executives of major American sports organizations that al Qaeda may strike soon -- possibly at large sports events. In a seminar for commissioners and other top officials of professional and amateur sports organizations, Ridge and other Homeland Security officials asked for help in ensuring safety at and around major sporting events. He repeated a warning that the government fears al Qaeda might try to stage another large-scale attack in the United States, though he said he had no details on the time, place or method. "You...

The heightened security alert in the United States is not related to the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, coalition administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III said here today. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced the change in the national threat level of terrorist attack from elevated (code yellow) to high (code orange) Dec 21. The decision, Ridge said in a prepared statement, was based on "a substantial increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports" from the intelligence community. He said, "These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond."...

In the most aggressive -- and, some say, invasive -- step yet to protect air travelers, the federal government and the airlines will phase in a computer system next year to measure the risk posed by every passenger on every flight in the United States. The new Transportation Security Administration system seeks to probe deeper into each passenger's identity than is currently possible, comparing personal information against criminal records and intelligence information. Passengers will be assigned a color code -- green, yellow or red -- based in part on their city of departure, destination, traveling companions and date of ticket...

WASHINGTON -- The government already has color-coded terror alerts -- now it's preparing to color-code air travelers. According to The Washington Post, the government and airlines will phase in a computer system next year to measure the risk posed by every passenger who boards a flight in the United States. Passengers will be assigned one of three codes, based in part on their travel plans, traveling companions and the date the ticket was purchased. Sources said those coded "green" will easily pass through security checkpoints. Others will be coded "yellow" and face additional screening. An estimated 1-2 percent who get...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 — The government announced a heightened alert today against possible terror attacks timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 assault. Attorney General John Ashcroft said the latest alert, to a level higher than any declared before, was based on specific and credible information from a senior Qaeda operative who has been under interrogation. Mr. Ashcroft said President Bush had approved the change in alert status. Mr. Bush latyer said, after a visit to Afghanistan's Embassy: "We take every threat seriously. The threats that we have heard recently remind us of the pattern of threats...

FBI Warns of Possible Scuba Diver Terror Attacks 5/24/2002WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI on Friday added to a recent string of warnings by citing the possible use of scuba divers by terrorists to conduct an attack."Recent information has determined that various terrorist elements have sought to develop an offensive scuba diver capability," the FBI said in an information bulletin issued by its National Infrastructure Protection Center."While there is no evidence of operational planning to utilize scuba divers to carry out attacks within the United States, there is a body of information showing the desire to obtain such capability," the FBI...

<p>Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge yesterday announced a color-coded system to alert Americans of terrorism threat levels, predicting it will be years before the lowest level can be declared.</p> <p>"With the Homeland Security Advisory System, we hope to make America safer and more aware," Mr. Ridge told a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution. "However, we should not expect a VT day, a victory over terrorism day, anytime soon."</p>