Administration Defends Its Security Response
By: Steve Sawyer | Source: CNSNews.com
August 3, 2004 1:08PM EST

By Susan Jones CNSNews.com Morning Editor August 03, 2004 (CNSNews.com) - It's old information, yes -- but it had been updated as recently as January 2004, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on Tuesday, following criticism that the U.S. government may have overreacted to recent intelligence information taken from an al Qaeda operative. Various press reports, including Tuesday's Washington Post, quoted unnamed sources as griping about the fact that information gathered from an al Qaeda operative last week - building plans, security arrangements, etc. -- was at least three years old and maybe older. "There is nothing right now that we're hearing that is new," one senior law enforcement official told the Washington Post. "Why did we go to this [security] level?" the official asked - "I still don't know that," he said. The Washington Post also quoted administration officials as justifying the "massive security response in three cities." At a press conference at Citicorp's New York City headquarters on Tuesday, Secretary Tom Ridge said there was no evidence of recent al Qaeda surveillance at the five institutions named in the security alert. "But again, I will tell you, that the information...had been updated as recently as January of this year," Ridge said. "We know this is an organization that plans in advance, that prepares and has patience," he said. "We felt it was essential to share it with the appropriate communities and companies so they could act upon it." Ridge said he understands that "warnings or information of this type are difficult to digest...and can easily and understandably give rise to feelings of anxiety and fear." He urged Americans to "press on with resolve and perhaps a bit of defiance," sending a message to our enemies, "that we know what you want to do but we're not going to let you do it." We don't do politics... "We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security," Ridge said in response to a reporter's question. He said the department's job is to identify threats and identify potential targets. "Frankly, I would point out that this is the most significant, detailed pieces of information about any particular region that we've come across in a long, long time -- perhaps ever." Ridge said going public with the information was a "judgment call," but he believes it needed to be shared. "Government should let the public know about situations like this: It's not about politics, it's about confidence in government telling you when they get the information." Ridge also praised employees who showed up for work at heavily guarded buildings this week: "The terrorists wish to make Americans that live in freedom live in fear. Just by showing up at work, you have made a powerful statement that they will not succeed," Ridge said. Ridge said there's still quite a bit of information to be analyzed, and "we will review the facts associated with going up to orange" once the analysis is done. The New York and Washington areas were placed on an orange or "high" security alert on Sunday. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also spoke at Tuesday's press conference, said New York City is open for business and will stay that way. He noted that the Statue of Liberty is re-opening on Tuesday for the first time since the 9/11 attacks. "People should be able to come here without fear, work in these buildings, go out on the street and enjoy themselves without looking over their shoulder." Mayor Bloomberg also thanked Washington and Albany for their help: "The best days for New York are yet to come and the terrorists are not going to win," he said.

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