Breaking News

[wvjules]

BREAKING NEWS U.S. counterterrorism officials warn of heightened terror threat, partly due to concern over potential conflict with Iraq. Details to come.

Also on the CNN, they said that US Officials are considering raising our threat level to Orange.

I suppose we all knew it was coming, but actually seeing it is scary.

 

[Colleen A.]

All I can say is I hope Bush knows what he's doing!

 

[wovenwonder]

Thanks Jules -- I'll check out CNN.com

My dd just called me. She graduated HS this past June. She just got word from her second set of friends that are getting married before SO is deployed. Friends stopped in to work to tell her today that he was given 48 hrs notice yesterday (he is in the reserves) that he will be deployed tomorrow. They were engaged but are getting married tonite before he leaves. So sad.

 

[Blondie]

Low = Green
Guarded = Blue
Elevated = Yellow
High = Orange
Severe = Red

The decision whether to publicly announce Threat Conditions shall be made on a case-by-case basis by the Attorney General in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. Every effort shall be made to share as much information regarding the threat as possible, consistent with the safety of the Nation. The Attorney General shall ensure, consistent with the safety of the Nation, that State and local government officials and law enforcement authorities are provided the most relevant and timely information. The Attorney General shall be responsible for identifying any other information developed in the threat assessment process that would be useful to State and local officials and others and conveying it to them as permitted consistent with the constraints of classification. The Attorney General shall establish a process and a system for conveying relevant information to Federal, State, and local government officials, law enforcement authorities, and the private sector expeditiously.

The Director of Central Intelligence and the Attorney General shall ensure that a continuous and timely flow of integrated threat assessments and reports is provided to the President, the Vice President, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Whenever possible and practicable, these integrated threat assessments and reports shall be reviewed and commented upon by the wider interagency community.


You can read more here.

 

[Serena]

Prayers for everyone.

 

[ead79]

My prayers are with us all. We must stop Saddam before he hurts us, IMO.

 

[catsrule]

i do the same things i always do, reguardless.

 

[aprincessmom]

My company put a freeze on all internation travel this past Monday and everyone who was travelling was required to be back at their home offices by today.

Domestic travel is now only allowed with sign off from executive officers at the recommendation of our security group.

It was scary to see that come across our desktops.

 

[wovenwonder]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The threat of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil is at a higher level than in previous months because of the possibility of impending military action against Iraq, U.S. counterterrorism officials told CNN on Wednesday.

"The threat level is definitely up. Our guys have been told to act as if we have already bombed Iraq," one senior counterterrorism official told CNN

Government officials said they are concerned that al Qaeda, Iraqi agents or individuals would launch an attack coinciding with a U.S. strike against Iraq.

Sources say the FBI is closely watching a "handful" of people believed to be Iraqi intelligence officers in the United States. It is part of the bureau's effort to question many of the tens of thousands of Iraqis living in the United States.

There is also surveillance of up to 1,000 Iraqi nationals who are thought to be supporters of Saddam.

Sources say that since the September 11 attacks, the United States has received constant intelligence about another major al Qaeda assault. There is continuing fear of al Qaeda obtaining weapons of mass destruction, but officials said there is no proof the terrorist organization has such weapons yet.

"If they get their hands on them, no doubt they will use them," a senior official told CNN.

A senior counterterrorism official said has remained concerned about a second terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. "We're holding our breath" because of Iraq, the official said.

Heightened concern prompted the FBI to instruct its agents to have packed three days of clothes and personal items and one bag a bag for at least a one-month deployment, sources said.

Government officials have debated whether to put out an alert warning about an increased chance of an attack or actually raising the national threat level. The national threat level will remain at yellow, or elevated, sources told CNN.

The FBI will deliver a National Threat Assessment to Congress next week which will describe how al Qaeda continues to adapt and will say that a major concern is the threat of chemical and biological agents.