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Terror threat lowered yellow { April 16 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38230-2003Apr16.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38230-2003Apr16.html
Terror Alert Lowered to Yellow
By John Mintz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 16, 2003; 1:00 PM
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge today lowered the nation's terrorist alert threat level from orange, or "high risk," to yellow, or "elevated risk," and government officials said one reason for the move is that hostilities in Iraq are coming to a close.
"There were a number of factors involved in the thinking of the intelligence community, including that the war in Iraq is winding down," said Brian Roehrkasse, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.
Ridge reached the decision along with other top officials in the government late Monday night, administration officials said. Senior administration officials became convinced in recent days that they would lower the threat level soon, but "had been going back and forth'' on whether to wait until next week to take the step, one official said.
The government placed the nation on the heightened security alert on March 17, days before the start of the war in Iraq. At the time, officials cited the danger that al Qaeda, Iraqi security agents or surrogates sympathetic to their causes could take the opportunity of the American incursion to strike against U.S. interests.
Local governments and businesses have complained that the orange alert, along with a flurry of other security arrangements called Operation Liberty Shield that also were imposed on March 17, were costing them millions of dollars in inflated security expenses. Under Liberty Shield, state National Guard troops were dispatched to guard nuclear plants and other critical sites.
In conjunction with lowering the threat level, Ridge advised governors and other local officials that they could end Liberty Shield "over the next several days,'' Roehrkasse said. Ridge and other federal officials advise that state and local authorities slowly end the Liberty Shield measures "so there is still a visible security presence . . . such as continuing random or rolling patrols that can be effective in signaling heightened security and disrupting terrorist activities,'' Roehrkasse added.
"Intelligence reporting continues to indicate al Qaeda and those sympathetic to its cause, and extremist organizations sympathetic to the Iraqi regime, continue to plan terrorist attacks against American interests'' in the United States and abroad, Roehrkasse said.
The department said in a statement today that it made the decision "in consultation with the [White House] Homeland Security Council" to change the threat level "following a review of intelligence and an assessment of threats by the intelligence community."
"While we continue to be at risk to the threat of terrorism at an elevated level, extensive protective measures remain in place throughout our nation,'' the statement continued. "As [Defense] Secretary [Donald H.] Rumsfeld has noted, hostilities from Operation Iraqi Freedom still continue and there is, 'a lot of work left to do.'" He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and alert to the possibility of terrorist attack.
On April 8, Ridge told reporters he was considering lowering the alert level to yellow because of indications that terrorist threats were subsiding, and he stated elliptically that the fact that U.S. forces were prevailing in the Iraqi military campaign played a role in those considerations. But officials later denied that Ridge had intended to suggest that U.S. military successes were influencing the government's thinking on the threat level.
"In particular, I extend my grateful appreciation to the governors, mayors and other representatives from the public and private sector for their tremendous support and cooperation throughout the last several weeks," Ridge said in the statement released this morning. "I also applaud the hard work of the many dedicated law enforcement officials, security personnel and responders for their efforts to shield our nation. They have protected our freedom at home in this time of war while their brave counterparts in our armed forces are fighting for this same cause thousands of miles away in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The signal we have sent our enemies over the past few weeks has been clear," Ridge said. "We will continue to resolutely defend our nation and its freedom."
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
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