WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Although there were no terror attacks during the Christmas holiday, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday his agency is just as concerned about the possibility of an attack “this week as we were last week.”
He said the nation would remain on high alert (orange) through at least the New Year’s holiday, and possibly for several weeks thereafter.
Ridge made his comments as he announced that the Department of Homeland Security has ordered international air carriers to place armed government officers on some flights to the United States.
Under the measure, the cargo and passenger carriers are required to place air marshals on flights when requested by the U.S. government, or possibly face the denial of landing rights.
Ridge said such measures would be taken when intelligence indicates a possible threat.
“We will ask whenever we think it’s appropriate,” he said, adding that the new air security policy is “effective immediately.”
With the nation on heightened terror alert, Ridge urged Americans to go about their lives this week -- attend the traditional college bowl games, revel in New Year’s festivities and fly on airlines without fear.
He said the “full force” of the Homeland Security Department and law enforcement are at work, guarding nuclear facilities, power stations, key bridges and other critical infrastructure sites. He also said fighter patrols were being carried out over certain cities, including New York and Washington.
“This is a great nation, and so we will show the terrorists the strength of our resolve and the spirit of our determination never to falter, never to fail,” Ridge said.
“Each of us must remember that we are at war -- war against an enemy driven by hate and determined to destroy the ideals we cherish and the way of life we hold dear.”
When announcing on December 21 that the United States raised its terror alert level to orange, Ridge warned of possible terrorist strikes more devastating than the al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001.
While there were no attacks over the Christmas holiday, Ridge said there was no time to relax and that the threat is just as legitimate this week.
“We are as concerned today as we were yesterday,” Ridge said.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas, all Air France flights into and out of Los Angeles were canceled due to security concerns over the possibility of a terrorist attack.
Ridge specifically said Air France Flight 68, originating from Paris and destined for Los Angeles, was not allowed to take off “based upon advanced information.”
Ridge would not say if the action thwarted a terrorist attack, but said, “We had specific information that needed to be acted upon relative to the Air France flights.”
He also said authorities in Britain and Mexico took “similar cooperative action,” although he did not elaborate.
In issuing the new mandate Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said the agency remains “concerned about al Qaeda’s desire to conduct attacks against commercial airlines within the United States.”
Although some countries already place armed officers -- so-called air marshals -- on flights traveling to, from or over the United States, the three new emergency amendments will provide the U.S. government with additional authority when dealing with international passenger or cargo carriers.
Ridge said there will be times when the United States feels there are flights that “might require an added level of protection, an added layer of safety.”
“It would be driven by information that we shared,” Ridge said.
Homeland security officials said the U.S. government will continue checking passengers and crews of flights entering and leaving U.S. airspace, and analyzing any potential threat information related to those flights. If there is intelligence indicating a threat, then they would act.
British officials announced Sunday they would begin placing armed officers on some flights to the United States. The “covert armed police capability” was announced by the British government a year ago, but not implemented until now. (Full story)
Shortly after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in which four planes were hijacked, Congress passed legislation for armed air marshals, dressed in plain clothes, to be allowed on domestic flights for extra security.