Terror warning surprises Homeland Security Dept.

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
Date: May 28, 2004 11:53:08 AM EDT
To: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
Subject: Terror warning surprises Homeland Security Dept.


:sigh: The more "progress" is made in government on this issue, the more
things stay the same or get worse.

- rick
Infowarrior.org


http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny- 
uswarn283821917may28,0,245
8454,print.story

Terror warning surprises Homeland Security Dept.
By Thomas Frank
Washington Bureau

May 28, 2004

WASHINGTON -- The Homeland Security Department was surprised by the
announcement Wednesday by Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI  
Director
Robert Mueller that a terrorist attack was increasingly likely in the  
coming
months, officials said.

The department, created a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is  
charged
with issuing terrorism warnings to the public, and tension arose when
Ashcroft and Mueller effectively took over that role at a news  
conference
Wednesday when they said al-Qaida is preparing an attack inside the  
United
States.

Officials said the Homeland Security Department knew in advance about  
the
news conference but expected it to focus on seven suspects with ties to
al-Qaida who were wanted for arrest or questioning. Department officials
were caught off guard when Ashcroft went further and warned that  
al-Qaida
"is ready to attack the United States."

The news conference, which excluded Homeland Security Secretary Tom  
Ridge,
raised concerns in Washington that his department was not coordinating  
the
domestic fight against terrorism, which was confusing the message for  
the
public and for local authorities.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ridge spoke on morning television shows and  
appeared
to downplay the threat that Ashcroft would later trumpet, officials  
said. He
told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the threats are "not the most
disturbing that I have personally seen during the past couple of years."

Lawmakers who oversee the Homeland Security Department said the events
Wednesday appeared to undermine the effort to unify the federal  
government's
response to terrorism threats.

"The reason that Congress created the Department of Homeland Security is
that we need to merge the various parts of government responsible for  
pieces
of the war on terrorism into one coordinated effort," said Rep.  
Christopher
Cox (R-Calif.), chairman of the homeland security committee.

Cox said it was "regrettable" that Ridge did not appear with Ashcroft  
and
Mueller "because their separate public appearances conveyed the  
impression
that the broad and close interagency consultation we expect ... may not  
have
taken place in this case." He noted that the 2002 law creating the
department puts the secretary in charge of issuing "public advisories
relating to threats to homeland security."

Just one week ago, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge had told the  
Sept.
11 commission at a hearing in Manhattan that his department "has made
widespread information sharing the hallmark of our new approach to  
homeland
security." Ridge added that his department was sharing information with
local authorities, private officials and the public through bulletins,
alerts and a new Homeland Security Information Network.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan disputed suggestions that  
the
administration sent mixed signals, saying, "What you're seeing is that  
these
officials are talking about it from their own positions of  
responsibility."

Rep. Jim Turner (D-Texas), the committee's senior Democrat, suggested  
the
Homeland Security Department may not have known that the news conference
would delve into threat conditions.

"If it is true that the FBI did not notify DHS of its intent to hold a  
press
conference to advise the public of the current threat situation, we  
clearly
have a lack of coordination between the two key agencies involved in
homeland security," Turner said. "Almost three years after Sept. 11, we  
have
yet to see a full integration and coordination of efforts to make  
America
safer."

A similar issue arose two months ago when the FBI - not the DHS - warned
that Texas oil refineries may be a target of attacks. In a letter to  
Ridge
last month, Cox cited an "inconsistency," noting that a week after the
refinery alert, Homeland Security and the FBI jointly warned about a
possible strike on mass transit systems.

"Having multiple sources of threat advisories emanating from the federal
government can lead to dangerous confusion among our nation's state and
local first responders," Cox wrote.



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