U.S. Military on Highest Domestic Terror Alert

Reuters ^ | 05-21-03

[Brian S]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has raised its warning of possible terror attack against military facilities and bases in the United States to its highest level, defense officials said on Wednesday.

Responding to a change in threat warning from "significant" to "high," the military has decided to deploy additional anti-aircraft missile systems and increase air patrols in the Washington area, according to the officials who asked not to be identified.

The DIA warning was issued late on Tuesday as the U.S. government raised its general terror alert status to the second-highest level, citing the risk of attacks on American soil in light of suicide bombings in Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

[Gamecock]

Gamecock reporting in, my cube is secure!

[conservativeinbflo.]

I hate to say it, but I wish something would just happen and get it overwith already. I hate living like this. It's like when you're incredibly nauseas, and waiting to vomit (sorry for the analogy, but it's the best I could do!).

[smith288]

Relax. Most of the time, the terrorism itself is just to cause a panic over nothing but a stupid Arabis forum. There is nothing more they want than a bunch of panicing civilians thinking they are the next to die.

[smith288]

Arabis = Arabic

[Carolina]

Arabis = Arabic

Hey, I like Arabis. Kinda like cannabis...

Arabis.....hate-induced psychosis occuring in persons of Arabic descent.

[smith288]

I think I coined a new slander! Whoo hoo!

[Carolina]

:)

Now, to get it into freeper lingo....

[smith288]

How does one initiate that process? HA

[Carolina]

Ping MeeknMing and JohnHuang2...they're the keeper of the massive ping lists.

[LizardQueen]

I hate to say it, but I wish something would just happen and get it overwith already. I hate living like this.

I know what you mean, I think everyone goes through times where they feel like this - just totally sick of it.

What really sucks about this is that we're playing defense, not offense. Ask any football fan - the defense gets tired out easier than the offense does, because the offense knows where it's going and the defense doesn't know what to expect, so they have to be constantly on guard and move to cover all possibilities.

This is why we need to (and have) gone on the offensive against terrorist entities but it's not been 100% effective yet (open borders are not helping). It's time to get them playing defense, and wear them down to the point where they start to screw up.

LQ, Giants football fan who is well acquainted with tiring defenses.

[nathanbedford]

It's time to get them playing defense, and wear them down to the point where they start to screw up.

Gee, I kinda thought was what Bush had been doing.

[Spruce]

I would hardly call toppling the Taliban, destroying the Iraqi Baath party, surrounding Iran, and having Japan issue statements about building an offensive military(aimed at NK). All in less than two years, being defensive.

[LizardQueen]

I didn't say we're not doing any - the foreign actions such as Afghanistan etc. were done well and were appropriate.

But domestically I'm wondering how effective we are, offensively. Sure, we've got all these new laws for surveillance etc. but we seem to never know who is coming into the country and why in the first place.
I'd rather be stopping them at the line of scrimmage instead of letting them past it and having to run them down as they head for the end zone.

And we do have the issue of all the ones who are already on the field, thanks to the Great Philanderer - we don't know where they are, what they're doing, and where they're going to attack.
They have the option of going to ground each time the alert gets upped, then popping up when we've relaxed. That's the kind of thing that tires a defense out.

LQ

LQ

[appalachian_dweller]

I can understand your feelings here. This does play on the nerves, but we have to be prepared.

Might I suggest this: Get prepared (if you haven't already), and just stay that way. I keep gear in the car these days. It just stays there. I don't have to do anything when the alert level is increased because I've never deceased mine. Once your prepared, just go about your daily business as ususal, but keep your eyes open for the unusual.

This does work on the nerves, but I'd rather the public be alerted rather than relaxed.

Can anyone else offer any other suggestions?

[AmericanInTokyo]

"Defcon ___?____"? ... Does anyone know?

[appalachian_dweller]

I think that DEFCON 4 is the highest military alert, but I've seen no reports to that effect.

Can anyone with military experience provide more insight?

[Severa]

*lives less than 5 min from NAS Oceana and 30 min from NAS Norfolk* DEFCON 4, more commonly known as Threatcon Delta, is in fact the highest stage of alert. We haven't been at that stage since the day after the 9/11 attacks. (I remember it well because I had to drive my husband to work that day. Took us 2 hrs to get there, and that was to drop him off at the Exchange across the street)

Right now as far as I know we're still at bravo plus. With my husband currently out to sea till late June I haven't had to go on base as of late. Threatcon Bravo is the second lowest threat level for military bases.

[Severa]

Wait a minute...think I got my threatcons mixed up...*L* lemme go look again...

[Severa]

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/defcon.htm

This was what I was able to find on DEFCONs. I was right, at least, on the Threatcon Delta being the highest stage of alert. It goes Delta, Charlie, Bravo, and Alpha going from highest to lowest threat.