WASHINGTON, 22 May 2003 — Officials are fearful that Al-Qaeda could expand its plans for a wave of attacks overseas into the United States, but there is “no specificity” as to potential targets or times of attack, FBI Director Robert Mueller stressed yesterday.
Federal counterterrorism authorities called for increased security nationwide by raising the security alert to “high” Tuesday.
“The American public ought to go about its business understanding that it ought to be vigilant,” Mueller said on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” saying the system of alerts deters terrorism. “We know that from our interrogations” with suspected terrorists, Mueller said.
Asked whether President Bush spoke too soon in saying Al-Qaeda was “on the run,” Mueller said: “They are on the run.”
Mueller said authorities believe that Osama Bin Laden “is still out there. I think there’s some concern about what kind of control he has over the people.”
Although Mueller said the warnings are nonspecific, federal law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity said that among the intelligence picked up recently were two electronic transmissions that discussed the possibility of an attack on New York, Washington, Boston and more broadly the US coastlines.
The officials said there were doubts about the credibility of the threats and stressed that they were not the driving factors in the decision to raise the threat level.
The decision to raise the national alert to orange, signifying a “high” risk of attacks, from yellow, meaning an “elevated” risk, came after a review of intelligence information by Bush’s homeland security council Tuesday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. Orange is the second-highest on the five-color alert scale.
Around the country, state and local authorities stepped up security measures. Police in California worked 12-hour shifts. National Guard troops in New York were called up to protect subways and bridges. In Washington, the Capitol police SWAT team prepared to conduct random patrols.
At the Pentagon yesterday morning, military police who normally wear berets, donned helmets and bulky flak vests to guard some entrances of the America’s sprawling military headquarters.
Members of the building’s security force, which guards other entrances, was briefed by a terrorist specialist at morning roll call, reminding them to be extra vigilant due to the raised alert level.
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to temporarily prohibit flights over sports stadiums and restrict small private planes flying within a 17.25-mile radius of the Washington Monument, said agency spokeswoman Laura Brown.
The FAA will also require private planes flying into three Washington-area airports — College Park, Potomac and Washington Executive/Hyde — to first land at Tipton Airport in Maryland so the pilots can be checked, Brown said.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge encouraged governors and mayors to deploy extra police and take other precautions, particularly at large public gatherings during Memorial Day weekend.
American counterterrorism officials suspect last week’s bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco are part of a coordinated campaign to prove Al-Qaeda is still dangerous. Officials suspect senior Al-Qaeda leaders hiding in Iran are orchestrating the attacks, but Iran denies the charges.
“Raising the alert level is prudent when the circumstances warrant doing that, but each time it means direct costs to state and local governments,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. “We are continually tapping the coffers of local police, fire and rescue units to counter these threats, and many of them are being tapped out.”
William Bratton, police chief in Los Angeles, said authorities there have stepped up their patrols, but said local governments badly need financial assistance.
