By Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the Department of Homeland Security on Monday urged people to “just go about your business” despite the decision to raise the nation’s terror-attack warning to its second-highest level.
At the same time, however, Secretary Tom Ridge said the Bush administration wants people to “be vigilant and have a good communications plan under way.”
And, he stressed the intelligence community considered the new threat “the most significant threat” to the country since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“We’ve never quite seen it at this level before,” Ridge told reporters after briefing the president at the White House. Stepped-up security was evident Monday at the nation’s airports, busy with holiday travelers.
The Transportation Security Administration said vehicle inspections, parking restrictions and bomb-sniffing canine patrols have been increased at airports around the country. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed stricter rules for private pilots flying in and out of airports near the nation’s capital.
Ridge sought to reassure the public that tightened security measures were in place and they should not alter their holiday travel plans.
“If you’ve got holiday plans, go,” Ridge said.
The dual message - that Americans shouldn’t alter plans but should stay on their guard - was echoed by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan during his news briefing.
“Americans should go about living their lives, but they should remain vigilant,” McClellan said. “Americans can take steps just like the government is taking steps to prevent an attack from happening in the first place. They can report suspicious packages, unattended briefcases or other unusual materials immediately to law enforcement authorities.”
McClellan said Americans can “make a plan for what they and their family would do in an emergency” following suggestions at the Homeland Security Department’s Web site at http:/www.ready.gov.
The comments came a day after Ridge announced that the government was elevating the national terror alert warning to “Code Orange.” The upgrade from “Code Yellow,” or “elevated” status, followed warnings that the terrorist organization al-Qaida may be plotting attacks against the United States during the holidays. The new designation indicates a high risk.
“The information we have indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will either rival or exceed” the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Ridge had said in announcing the upgraded alert status on Sunday.
Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Ridge was asked if the host of warnings and changes in warning status over the past two years had made the public somewhat nonchalant about such alerts.
He replied that it has been six months since the terror alert was changed, saying “I don’t think we’ve got to worry about threat fatigue. We need to be on the alert and America needs to know that those who need to do things are doing them, that their government is working 24-7 to protect them against terrorist attack.”
Some of the intelligence information gathered indicates that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network, al-Qaida, is seeking again to use planes as weapons, he said. Ridge said the terrorists are “constantly evaluating procedures ... to find gaps in our security posture that could be exploited.”
The country’s alert level had stood at yellow, an elevated risk and in the middle of the five-color scale, since May. On Monday, Ridge said the change in the alert status was the result of information from “many sources,” but said he could not be more specific.
An official speaking on condition of anonymity had said Sunday that some of the intercepted communications and other intelligence mentioned New York, Washington and unspecified cities on the West Coast. Authorities also are concerned about dams, bridges, nuclear plants, chemical facilities and other public works.
The Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute, which represents owners of more than 100 reactors in 31 states, said the industry is coordinating with law enforcement and intelligence agencies and has a “paramilitary security force” of 7,000 officers at the ready, said spokesman Steve Kerekes.
Thousands of state and local law enforcement agencies have received an FBI advisory urging special notice of sites that could be a conceivable target and potential security upgrades, the official said. And Ridge has contacted agencies have received an FBI advisory urging special notice of sites that could be a conceivable target and potential security upgrades, the official said.
A senior Pentagon official said Monday the Defense Department is helping beef up security, but declined to give details. In past times of high threat, officials have increased combat air patrols by military jets over U.S. cities and deployed missile launchers outside the Pentagon and at other locations in the capital.
The State Department issued a worldwide caution warning U.S. citizens overseas that they may be terrorist targets.