Posted 11:35 a.m. Feb. 7
by Zeb Eckert
U-WIRE Washington Bureau Chief
The nation’s terror alert system will be raised to orange this afternoon, the highest threat level in nearly a year, the Associated Press is reporting.
The announcement will be made at a 12:30 p.m. news conference with Attorney General John Aschcroft and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
A code orange alert indicates a “high” risk of terrorist attacks while a yellow alert indicates a “significant” risk of attacks. The heightened alert comes two days after the State Department issued a worlwide warning to Americans abroad to be cautious of their surroundings.
While the government says there is no specific threat, they do have increased intelligence about a possible attack, CNN reported on its website.
The system, officially known as the Homeland Security Advisory System, was instituted in March 2002. The last time there was a code orange level was during the July 4 holiday last year.
This article appeared in the February 6, 2003 issue of the Hatchet.
