U.S. Moves to Protect Trains, Buses

[Woodmonkey]

WASHINGTON - A warning that terrorists might strike trains and buses in major U.S. cities using bombs concealed in bags or luggage has the nation's transit systems ratcheting up security measures.

U.S. officials said they had received uncorroborated intelligence reports about a plot by terrorists to target commercial transportation systems but had no information about specific cities or dates.

Greg Hull, security chief for the American Public Transportation Association, said Friday the transit systems are at "code yellow-plus" following the bulletin about a possible terror plot from the FBI and the Homeland Security Department.

A senior federal law enforcement official, speaking Friday on condition of anonymity, said the intelligence, coupled with the deadly March 11 commuter train attacks in Madrid in which bombs went off inside backpacks, has increased the level of wariness about a similar attack in the United States.

"It should not be considered unusual that the FBI should issue this kind of a bulletin in the wake of what occurred in Madrid last month," the Amtrak passenger railroad said in a statement.

Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said information in the bulletin was being shared via the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System to ensure proper security measures are implemented nationwide.

Officials said the message was sent mainly out of an abundance of caution, and the threat - deemed "somewhat credible" by one official - was not causing undue alarm throughout the government.

The nation's terror alert level remains at yellow, or elevated, the midpoint of the five-color scale. It was last raised to orange, or high, on Dec. 21 amid suspicions about terror attacks using commercial aircraft. The level returned to yellow on Jan. 10.

Passengers could see changes because of the bulletin. Federal officials are encouraging local transit authorities to conduct random passenger inspections and security sweeps of stations and to increase public announcements encouraging people to report unattended baggage or suspicious behavior.

Intelligence indicates a plot might involve bombs made of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and diesel fuel, similar to the explosive concealed in a rental truck that blew up the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. Both items are readily available.

The improvised bombs would be concealed in luggage and carry-on bags, such as backpacks or duffel bags, and detonated either aboard buses or trains or in transportation stations, the government warning says.

Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have "demonstrated the intent and capability" of attacking public transportation systems using a variety of bombs, the bulletin says. Attacks in Israel, Greece, Turkey, Spain and elsewhere have used suicide bombers or triggered bombs with timers and cell phones.

Between 1997 and 2000, more than 195 terror attacks occurred on transit systems worldwide, congressional investigators say.

On Friday, Spanish authorities found and disarmed a bomb connected to a detonator with a 450-foot cable under tracks of a high-speed railway between Madrid and Seville.

More than 9 billion trips are taken each year on the U.S. public transportation system, with 32 million trips every weekday - about 16 times the number of trips taken on airlines, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

The association estimates that $6 billion is needed to upgrade and modernize U.S. transit systems to meet security needs. The Transportation Security Administration dedicated only $10 million for passenger rail and public transit security in the current year's budget, according to the House Homeland Security Committee.

"Failure to invest in the security of passenger rail and public transit could leave these critical systems vulnerable to terrorist attack," the committee's Democrats said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. "Making these systems as safe as they can be from terrorist attack must be a high priority."

After the Madrid bombings, the Homeland Security Department announced a series of security initiatives, but with no major new funding plans.

http://start.usaa.net/newsarticle?ca...81NPU780_story

[Joker]

I can see why you need to ask advice about how to handle liberal posters on other sites, Woodmonkey. You have a point to make with this, or the Nader article, that needs countering?

Boy, I'm in a grumpy mood today, aren't I?

[Ironside]

A warning that terrorists might strike trains and buses in major U.S. cities using bombs concealed in bags or luggage has the nation's transit systems ratcheting up security measures.

Two and a half years after 9/11 and they're just now doing this?
Did it really take 10 explosions on the rails of Spain for this Administration to do something to make our railways and other public transportatin safer?

Unbelievable!

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Joker

I can see why you need to ask advice about how to handle liberal posters on other sites, Woodmonkey. You have a point to make with this, or the Nader article, that needs countering?

Boy, I'm in a grumpy mood today, aren't I?

Boy, you sure are in a grumpy mood today. Should I put my armor on?

No, I don't worry about liberal posters, Joker. All I care about is that discussion is civil and issues, not personalities, are discussed. You should be able to see that in my posts.

The point? This is P/CP and Nader throwing his hat in is a legitimate discussion in this presidential election year. A lot of people believe that he was the reason Gore lost last time.

Now .... the topic for this thread. It's one that has bothered me. I believe that our trains are an important system that is underfunded and underprotected. Madrid is an example of what can happen.

Same with buses. They are used extensively here. They too need protection.

I guess travel on them is more "pedestrian" compared to the so-called glamour of flying so they aren't getting the protection -- either physical or financial.

[BrianK]

Quote

[ The association estimates that $6 billion is needed to upgrade and modernize U.S. transit systems to meet security needs. The Transportation Security Administration dedicated only $10 million for passenger rail and public transit security in the current year's budget, according to the House Homeland Security Committee.]

Easy to see why terrorism works.Mention a vulnerable area & immediately throwing money at it will make it go away. Yeah right! Not enough money according to the article. But would 6 billion really be money well spent? Speaking for myself I don't feel any different about flying than I did pre 9/11. My view of the precautions taken is that it's a great way to boost employment but not very effective. I'm skeptical because Israel has had measures in effect for years & it is no mystery that terrorists strike when & where they choose. We've become so politically correct that we can't even spot a meth lab in neighborhoods let alone suspicious behavior relating to terror.

I’m beginning to get the picture of very smart terrorists taking their time; generating just enough information/ distraction to keep people on edge. America is vulnerable in so many areas that it is easier to cause distrust on a continous basis than it is to actually do something. Meanwhile attacks on democracies that have far less population make it easier to chip away at the democratic way of life. If America is the bull then terrorists are the
pic-a-dors weakening us jab by jab. Removing the pic-a-dors can’t be done by focusing on them one at a time. As much as it looks foolish to spread ourselves thin [ not allocate 6 billion to trains & buses] I see logic in the process of building ground intelligence & infiltrating. This goes along too with my theory of why we invaded Iraq.

My point. Spending billions would boost employment & make some people feel good but isn't going to make terrorism stop. Spending money wisely where it could do the most good can go a long way to giving us some degree of peace of mind.

[JohnRN]

"He who defends everything, defends nothing"

Good point though Woodmonkey. But is there really an effective way to secure these modes of transport? I don't think it has much to do with glamour...

[BrianK]

Question Woodmonkey concerning land transportation.

Protecting them would be done how. Would examining passengers & baggage be the answer? Would stops in little out of the way places be done away with? Would the entire rail system & bus routes be examined daily ?

Would that prevent a train load of hazardous chemicals being derailed in the heartland causing thousands of acres of crop land to be rendered useless. That doesn't include the seepage into ground water.

Buses with chemical or biological materials put into the air conditioning systems rather than bombs in baggage & being carried on? What would be more effective & less likely to be detected ?

America is way to huge & to open to try to calm peoples nerves by super ficial patches. Worst question I can ask is Do you think the ACLU would put up with serious restrictions on our freedoms ?

Anything less that serious is wasting tax payers money on feel good.