Military

DATE=03/12/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=TERROR ALERTS (L ONLY)(CQ)

NUMBER=2-287461

BYLINE=JIM MALONE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

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INTRO: U-S Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge has announced a new terror alert system, that assigns various colors to specific levels of risk. National correspondent Jim Malone reports the new system is designed to reduce uncertainty and public anxiety when the government issues warnings about possible terrorist attacks.

TEXT: The new five-level alert system starts with green as signifying the lowest risk from terrorist attack.

The color scheme escalates to blue, yellow, orange and finally to red, which signifies a severe risk of terrorist attack.

Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge says the current terror risk for the country is yellow, signifying what he describes as a significant risk of attack.

Interviewed on C-B-S television Tuesday, Mr. Ridge says the new terror alert scheme will allow for different levels of alert in different parts of the country:

/// RIDGE ACT ///

There is flexibility enough so that if we get other information that is credible and corroborated that deals with a specific sector of industry or a particular locality in the country, the nation can be on a certain level of risk but we can ask that community or company to raise their level of preparedness.

/// END ACT ///

The new alert scheme was developed partly in response to complaints from some local law enforcement agencies that previous terror alerts issued by the federal government raised public alarm while providing little in the way of specific information.

Former C-I-A Director James Woolsey says the new color-coded scheme is similar to one developed by U-S intelligence agencies that seeks to rate both the type of information on which the threat is based and the source that provided it:

/// WOOLSEY ACT ///

The government is in a dilemma. It has to notify people on what it can (release). There are certain things it can't say explicitly and it certainly shouldn't sit on information where there is a high probability that something is going to occur. I think this is a good compromise. I'm quite supportive of it.

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The new alert scheme is now in force for federal agencies and Mr. Ridge is urging state and local governments to adopt it as well. (Signed)

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