‘Orange-plus’ threat level in effect: National Guard Called
National Guardsmen Jeremy Jennings, left, and David Vechil stand watch Tuesday over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
WASHINGTON, March 18 — Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge laid out plans Tuesday to put America’s domestic security forces on a wartime footing after President Bush put the nation on high alert for terrorist attacks.
THIS IS THE third time since Sept. 11, 2001, that the terrorist threat level has been raised to Code Orange. But in what several officials are calling an “orange-plus” alert, state and local officials said Washington was asking that more extensive security measures be put in place than on the previous occasions.
Dubbed Operation Liberty Shield, the series of measures includes increased security at the nation’s borders, airports, seaports and railways, and at nuclear and chemical plants. In addition, cars will be subject to random inspections on roads around airports.
Governors are being asked to deploy National Guard troops or extra state police to help....