National terror alert raised to orange

[glo]

we are at a high risk for terror alert.

 

[bumcat]

On KPRC AM Radio the govt said we should be prepared to evacuate if necessary?

 

[Selket]

I live in the Washington, DC suburbs and sometimes I think the only people that notice are the folks around here, in NYC and the news organizations. We were very close to the pentagon when it was struck on 9/11 (my husband watched the aftermath out of his office window for a bit) so it is a subject I take a great interest in (and have anxiety about). We got to feel the panic when CNN said another plane was still in the air and headed towards Washington (the one that eventually went down in PA). The Red Cross has practical tips on what steps to take at certain threat levels. You can find the info at http://www.redcross.org/

Carol

 

[olena]

Nerves are on edge here in Atlanta because of the NBA All Star Game this weekend.

Everybody stay safe

 

[frannn]

They said that people should not cancel business or leisure plans. The level change is based on intelligence info and that Al-whatever would like to attack us again during their holy period, which is through mid Feb. The govt gave us this info so we could be more aware as opposed to more anxious. I for one, do not need a reason to be more anxious! I hope those taking trips through Feb make educated decisions on whether to carry their plans through. I think we shouldn't cower in our homes and let THEM win, we should carry on and band together, while reporting any odd activities that is witnessed or overheard. They should be the scared ones!

 

[Bumbles]

bumcat..I believe that warning for evacuation is for Americans living abroad

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Business as usual. Although it has added some work for me today.

 

[snoopy]

Its no surprise to me.

The impending war will undoubtedly create a thousand new bin Ladens who will swear a blood oath to destroy America. Better be on our toes, regardless of what the color alert. I fear this will become a way of life for us now, so we better get used to it.

 

[snowball22]

Just an FYI.... If you wish to purchase anti-radiation pills or potassium iodide the name is called IOSAT. The pharmacies are suppose to be carrying these over the counter. Guess what...I went to two of our largest pharmacies in town and asked the pharmacist for the pills. Neither store even had them in stock. If you want to purchase them go to CVS.com They are only $9.99 for a box of 14 pills.

I pray to God that we will never need these but I would rather be safe than sorry. It is a very different world we live in.

 

[grinningghost]

Tom Ridge suggested that the average American should prepare a "contact plan" for their family. How to get a hold of each other should something happen. I guess that's the best he could offer as advice. None of us has dealt with chemical warfare before - I don't think anyone really knows what they would do. Let's hope we never have to find out.

 

[anniet]

Originally posted by snoopy
Its no surprise to me.

The impending war will undoubtedly create a thousand new bin Ladens who will swear a blood oath to destroy America. Better be on our toes, regardless of what the color alert. I fear this will become a way of life for us now, so we better get used to it.

The thought of the impending war crossed my mind...could the fact that they raised the alert be because we are going in soon????

 

[frannn]

I think the answer was that it was not related to the war, but my tv kept fading out, so I'm not 100% sure.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

I laughed out loud with Tom Ridge's 'contact plan'. Let me tell you, when the Trade Centers were hit, cell phones did not work, and pay phones had lines for blocks. I couldn't get to DW to let her know I was alive for 3 1/2 grueling hours.

Maybe the first thing Mr. Ridge should do is lay out a communciation plan that has sufficient redundancy for cell service, and immeidta efree (no coin required) pay phone calls within a certain radius of any attack.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I think the change in status is largely due to the impending war and not based on specific information. At this time my family is going about our business as usual.

I too live near DC, and 9/11 forced us to make contingency plans in the event of another tragedy. At that time, we put together an emergency kit and an evacuation plan. I keep the cell phones fully charged, knowing that in the event of an attack it will be difficult to get in touch but eventually we'll be able to touch base. (He'll try to reach me for the first hour, I try to reach him for the 2nd hour and so on). We know where to meet and what to do. Hopefully we'll never have to use our plan.

 

[DixieDreamer]

We got the alert on the status change at work - changes alot of protocols for the security/access at our large dams. I wondered at the time the alert was made - what was the reason for it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the threat level assessment was raised because of “specific intelligence ... corroborated by multiple intelligence sources,” as well as a steadily rising number of conversations among suspected members and sympathizers of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network regarding possible attacks.
He said the intelligence information suggested that al-Qaida may be planning attacks on hotels, apartment buildings or other lightly guarded “soft targets” where people gathered or lived, timed to coincide with the Hajj — the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Islam’s holiest site. The holy period begins Saturday and ends in mid-February.
Also at risk are “economic targets, including the transportation and energy sectors, as well as symbolic targets and symbols of American power,” he said.

OTHER FACTORS LED TO DECISION
Administration officials told NBC News on condition of anonymity that a number of other factors also played a role in the decision to raise the threat assessment. Among them, they said, was the discovery in early January of ricin, one of the world’s deadliest poisons, in a London apartmenr used by suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaida and the bombing in October of a night club in Bali, suggesting that al-Qaida was shifting strategy to focus on so-called soft targets.

A U.S. law enforcement official told NBC News on condition of anonymity that the decision also was based in part on intelligence indicating that a Pakistani man entered the country sometime after September 2001.
The FBI has not labeled the man, Mohammed Sher Mohammad Khan, a terrorist but wants to question him immediately, the official said.
The search for Khan was not “the primary reason” for the increased threat level, but it was a factor, the official said.

 

[DixieDreamer]

Thanks for the info Dan. Scarey stuff.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Tonight on our local news they had several suggestions. They said we should all have some bottled water, flashlights with batteries, duct tape and plastic sheeting in case we need to seal up our doors and ventilation, radio with batteries, dry food in case we couldn't get to the grocery store. They said gas masks were a little over the top and we probably don't need to go that far. They also suggested making a list of phone numbers for every member of your family in case you need to reach anyone in an emergency.

They are preparing to run some tests in our area over the next couple of weeks. Planes will drop powders to see what the drift patterns are in our Oklahoma winds. They told us that the powders are harmless things like powdered eggs. It makes me wonder if they know something that they aren't telling us. Actually, I'm sure that they do - they can't possibly tell us everything that they hear. It'd scare us to death.