Posted on 05/18/2002 7:44:52 AM PDT by DKM
Dem senators lambaste vague terrorism warning
By Noelle Straub
Senate Democrats criticized the Bush administration Tuesday for its warning that another terrorist attack could come in the next week, without giving any specifics.
“As if we’re not on high alert already,” Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said after Director of the Office of Homeland Security Tom Ridge briefed Senate Democrats. “It provokes its own level of panic.”
On Monday, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited “credible” information to indicate there would be new terrorist attacks within the United States or abroad in the next week. But he said he could not identify specific targets or the type of attacks.
Dodd said many of his colleagues questioned Ashcroft’s action. “What the hell are you saying this for? We all know this is a pretty precarious time.”
Sen. Richard Durbin (Ill.) said the Democratic Caucus wants to be as cautious as the administration but wondered whether that kind of vague warning would only “create more fear and anxiety.”
“I think we have to caution the administration to be careful,” Durbin said. “They can only do this so many times before they lose their credibility.”
He said he’s been peppered with questions from constituents who wanted to know what precautions to take, but all he could tell them was to go on with their lives while remaining vigilant.
“When these warnings are given, the people we represent don’t know what to do,” Durbin said.
Republicans were much less critical of Ridge when he briefed their caucus, with Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) describing their reception of Ridge as “cordial, loving, affectionate.”
Speaking to reporters after the lunches, Ridge admitted that senators of both parties had cautioned him against repeated warnings of new terrorist attacks, which they compared to the “little boy who cried wolf” example.
Ridge said the administration was walking a tightrope on what information to release to the public, but said, “It is very important, I think, at this juncture to continue to raise the level of awareness.”
If even one security guard at a shopping mall pays extra attention to a suspicious package because of the warning, Ridge said, the warning would be justified.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) was less critical, saying the administration was in a “very understandable dilemma.”
To avoid leaks or misunderstandings, Daschle said, the administration made a choice that had “some downsides.” But he added, “Under these circumstances I really don’t know that they could have made any other choice.”
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said he was ambivalent about the warning. “It serves a purpose and I’m not really quarreling about it. It serves a notice to the terrorists. On the other hand, it’s frustrating not to know why we’re on alert. You can only do that so many times before people become rather blasé about it.”
Democrats have also complained that the administration has given out conflicting information about the terrorist attacks since Sept. 11.
Dodd said Democrats expressed the desire for Ridge to coordinate the various agencies on counterterrorism but also to provide a single voice for the administration. “There’s a lot of noise and not a lot of clarity,” Dodd said.
“He’ll go back with a stronger sense that people are disappointed about how this is being managed,” Dodd said of Ridge.
Dodd advised Ridge to emulate Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who often appears at press conferences with several experts who can bolster his message.
bttt!
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