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Remember Osama? When the feds last week lowered the national alert from orange to yellow, it wasn't just because of Saddam's inability to hit us at home. The new level also reflects a lower threat posed by bin Laden's bombers. As one top counterterrorism official said before the invasion: "If there's a war on Iraq and they don't light us up, they've lost their friggin' juice." No one's letting their guard down, but folks in Washington are breathing a bit easier.

Last updated: April 16, 2003 The Homeland Security Advisory System is a means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to federal, state, and local authorities and to the American people. More... •  Low = Green •  Guarded = Blue •  Elevated = Yellow •  High = Orange •  Severe = Red For individuals interested in actions they may take in response to the increased level of threat of terrorist attack: See the Citizen Preparedness Guide or visit the American Red Cross.

Top Stories - AP Terror Alert Falls From Orange to Yellow 24 minutes ago Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo! By JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The Bush administration lowered the national terror alert level to "yellow" Wednesday, saying the end of heavy fighting in Iraq (news - web sites) has reduced the threat of terrorist attacks. Some security measures around the country will be relaxed, officials said. It was unclear whether the heightened alert had prevented any terrorism. The yellow level signifies an elevated risk of terrorist attacks. It is the middle level on...

Walking through New York's Penn Station the other day, I looked at the young men in military fatigues wielding machine guns and was struck by the thought that this was something I never thought I'd see in America. In Russia, where I lived until the age of 16, military men in city streets were a common sight. Later on, as an American vacationing in Europe several times in the 1980s and 1990s, I noticed the everyday precautions against terrorism—the military patrols, the warnings that any package or bag left unattended in a public place would be destroyed, the metal lids...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. MREs, gas masks in short supply as people try to prepare for terrorism Kenneth Crocker's hunt for shrink-wrapped ham slices and beef stew began Thursday morning at a military surplus store. A retail clerk at Treasure Island, Crocker has been looking for military prepackaged food, known as MREs, for the past week, ever since war in Iraq seemed like a certainty. But a nationwide shortage in survival gear, including MREs and gas masks, has forced some of the state's military surplus stores to turn away customers such as Crocker. "Since Sept....

March 19, 2003 Higher Alert and Tighter BudgetsBy JODI WILGOREN HICAGO, March 18 — As the nation returned to a high level of alert, state, local and federal officials stepped up security today at sensitive sites. But many states stopped short of activating the National Guard, despite the Bush administration's call for governors to deploy such troops or state police. Even as Tom Ridge, the secretary of homeland security, announced plans to safeguard everything from ports to air travelers to food supplies, many state domestic security chiefs and local emergency managers were still trying to find the right balance for...

Michelle Malkin (archive) How to be a liberty shield Now is the time for all good American men and women on the homefront to come to the aid of their country. As war with Iraq looms, our government warns that foreign terrorists may conduct retaliatory suicide bombing attacks on U.S. soil. "We'll never be immune," asserted Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge last week. "(T)hat lone wolf, that isolated suicide bomber might be the most difficult to protect against." President Bush reiterated the warning in his Monday night address to the nation. So, what is to be done? Ridge unveiled a...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- From airports to cattle feedlots to nuclear plants, the government began tightening security Tuesday to fortify America against terror. The plan, called "Operation Liberty Shield," goes far beyond the government's previous responses to threats of terror because officials believe war with Iraq increases the possibility of attacks on U.S. soil or against U.S. interests abroad. It envisions close cooperation among federal, state and local governments, as well as private businesses such as chemical plants and banks. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said individual Americans could play a part as well by staying vigilant and prepared while avoiding...

My "little birdie" is chirping again...

Developing. Watch "Abrams Report" on MSNBC. Steve Emerson is on.

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