9/11: Security Measures Increase

9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero: first pictures revealed at 10th anniversary.

Law enforcement authorities are spreading additional security measures and advising all Americans to be watchful for suspicious activity. The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,

On Wednesday U.S. officials obtained information about a threat involved up to three people, either in the U.S. or who were traveling to the country; a plan concocted with the help of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri; and a car bomb as a weapon, which might be used in New York or Washington.

Counterterrorism officials have been working around the clock to find out whether the threat is accurate. However it could take weeks before the intelligence community can come up with a verdict.

The White House said when President Barack Obama learned about the threat, he gave orders to his security team to take “all necessary precautions”. Obama hasn’t change his mind about his trip to New York on Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as well as the short visits at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. Extra security was put in place to protect the people in the two cities.

In New York City, policemen were stopping and searching trucks as they approached the George Washington Bridge, which links New Jersey with New York City, as well as the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel and the Verrazano Bridge, linking Staten Island and Brooklyn. Police officers also manned checkpoints throughout Manhattan where they examined vehicles, particularly vans and trucks, for possible bombs.

In Washington, police activity increased right after Labor Day. Members of Congress, their staff and visitors were being urged Friday to keep their eyes opened for anything suspicious.

The U.S. House sergeant-at-arms said:

“Remember, ‘if you see something, say something!’”

At the U.S. Capitol, Americans should not be surprised to see “visible strategic security enhancements” such as more uniformed and undercover officers and more police cruisers, as well as deployments of bomb squads, Hazmat and SWAT teams, and K9 units, said Sgt. Kim Schneider of U.S. Capitol Police. He also added that federal law officials will be sharing information and coordinating operations. For example, Capitol Police special agents are embedded in the intelligence community and assigned to the FBI, Secret Service and Department of Defense.

The efforts are intended “to present a visible deterrent to our adversaries and detect those who may present a threat” as well as “to respond to incidents in our jurisdiction or take protective measures in response to an incident occurring elsewhere in the National Capital region or anywhere around the nation”

The United Kingdom informs its citizens who are traveling to the United States that there was a threat of a new terrorist attacks that could include “places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers.”