Ridge Puts Terror Threat at 8 on 10-Point Scale

Reuters ^

[RCW2001]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said the threat of a major terror attack against the United States in the next three weeks was perhaps the equivalent of 8 on a scale of one to ten.

"You might be at eight," Ridge said late Friday night in an interview on the ABC television program Nightline when pressed to quantify the threat. But he described the rating system as more of an art than a science.

Hours earlier, the government raised its terrorist threat index for only the second time, warning that newly acquired intelligence indicated a "high risk" of attacks by al Qaeda guerrillas on U.S. targets at home and abroad.

U.S. analysts "have concluded without a doubt, and without any objection from any of their colleagues, that this is the most serious convergence of information we've had since Sept. 11, 2001," when about 3,000 people were killed in attacks by hijacked airliners, Ridge said.

U.S. law-enforcement and public health officials said in announcements and private briefings they were fearful of chemical, biological or radiological weapons, including ricin, cyanide, nerve agents or "dirty bombs" that could spread radioactive debris over a wide area.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said recent intelligence suggested al Qaeda might attack in the United States and abroad to mark the end of the haj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that starts Sunday.

He urged Americans to go about their usual business, but step up "readiness" for any emergency.

"We hope to reduce the level of the threat by our activities," he said.

Ashcroft said the assessments showed a greater likelihood of an attack by al Qaeda -- the group Washington blames for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by hijacked airliners -- on lightly secured targets like apartment buildings and hotels.

Officials said the intelligence was coming from intercepts, detainees, foreign intelligence and other sources.

Newsweek, on its Web site, quoted unidentified law-enforcement sources as saying intelligence warned about the possibility of attacks on synagogues, Jewish community centers, Jewish hospitals and particularly hotels and resorts.

FBI officials warned Jewish leaders and rabbis to be especially vigilant and to boost security over the weekend.

The heightened security concern came as the United States prepared to lead a possible invasion of Iraq. Washington charges that Baghdad has failed to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction as required by the U.N. Security Council, but Iraq insists it has no such weapons.

FBI SEEKS PAKISTANI

Just hours after Ashcroft announced the rise in the threat level, the FBI issued a statement saying it was seeking a Pakistani who was considered armed and dangerous.

FBI Director Robert Mueller said on the agency's Web site the bureau was seeking Mohammed Sher Mohammad Khan "in connection with possible terrorist threats against the United States."

Khan was believed to have entered the United States illegally after Sept. 1, 2001.

A law enforcement official said information received about Khan was not the main reason for the government's decision to increase the threat level, but was just one of a series of factors taken into consideration.

The heightened alert status shifted from yellow to orange on the five-tiered, color-coded scale. Yellow, in the middle of the range, means a "significant" risk and orange means a "high" risk of terrorist attack. The highest level of red represents a "severe" risk.

The last increase in the threat level, to orange from yellow, was on Sept. 10, 2002, before the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was lowered two weeks later.

The new level will trigger a series of additional security precautions. There will be more random searches at airports, more air marshals on flights and closer scrutiny at borders.

New Yorkers will see increased security in hotel lobbies, apartment buildings, the subway system, transportation hubs, bridges, tunnels and city landmarks, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "We will be increasing our security at the appropriate locations and we will pay special attention to places where lots of people gather," he said.

[pabianice]

www.packing.org

[tall_tex]

If he has to explain that "The Orange threat level ='s and 8 on a 10 scale. Why does he not just use a 10 scale. Every body knows what a 10 is.

[Cicero]

No, I think he's clumsily saying that 9/11 was the origin of the rating system. There were no terrorist warnings before 9/11 made them necessary.

[jammer]

Tall_tex, I'm a expatriated short tex and I usually agree with you in your posts. But, to me, it's kinda' silly to try to get any more explicit than some color rating. This stuff, it seems to me, is about as accurate as predicting tomorrow's weather in Andrews. Ballpark figures are as accurate as they can get, and sometimes they may not even get to the right park.

[eastforker]

Yes,we always knew there was a threat prior to 911,just not specific.Seems we also had knowledge prior to OKC that was specific,we just failed to act.

[Mr. Morals]

http://www.packing.org/

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

At what color level do we secure U.S. borders?

Puce? Magenta? Ecru?

[spodefly]

ZOT Thread / Code Orange Day Thoughts

The 5 color alert system now in use does not provide adequate specificity to keep the public aware of the exact threat level. A scale from infrared to ultra violet would provide increased granularity in the threat warning levels thereby allowing citizens to know precisely the actual threat level. Furthermore, it would allow us to specify verbally the associated threat level by using the most precise color, as in "today's threat level is mauve."

[tall_tex]

Woops, that should have been a question mark instead of a period at the end of the sentance. (Why does he not just use a 10 scale?)

Seems like they are spending a lot of time trying to explain these threat level colors.

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

[Irene Adler]

LOVE what you've done with this five-color alert system. (Would you do my living room?)

[eno_]

Evidently Tom Ridge's main qualification is that he can say this stuff with a straight face. Basically, we are preparing to take a hit, having failed utterly to even put a speed bump in the path of infiltrators.

[fifteendogs]

The heightened alert status shifted from yellow to orange on the five-tiered, color-coded scale. Yellow, in the middle of the range, means a "significant" risk and orange means a "high" risk of terrorist attack. The highest level of red represents a "severe" risk.

This is just more Bush administration B*LLSHIT. If we are on a heightened security risk, you would think that our security agencies would be on higher alert. Just after the new ORANGE alert went into affect, 4 Cuban coast guadsmen defected and drove their cuban boat, with armament, into Key West, docked their boat and walked into Key West, armed, looking for someone to give themselves up to. Where was the US Coast Guard, the harbor master and the local police. These guys could have been from Iraq and no one knew. So much for Homeland Security.

[riri]

You might be at eight

Notice, he didn't say WE might be at 8. Sort goes along with his "Your own your own" speech at yesterdays news briefing. Gotta love these guys, I can certainly see why we are paying them.

Well, from the looks of things you all are at about an 8, now, me, with my bunker, intelligence connections and vaccines-I'm at about a 3.

[Petronski]

Your own your own

No flame intended: I think you mean "You're on your own."

[riri]

Your correct! LOL

Oversight. Day 5 of the flu-cut me some slack.

[pgkdan]

I'm confused - is he now saying we DID have information about Sep. 11?

Possibly, but we didn't know what it all meant until after the event. Hindsight's always 20/20. The trick is to take what we learned by that horrific crime and apply it to what we're seeing today.