NYT, p. 1: Bombings Lead U.S. to Raise Security for Trains

[DeepModem Mom]

Bombings Lead U.S. to Raise Security for Trains
By ERIC LICHTBLAU and SARAH KERSHAW

Published: March 13, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 12 — Law enforcement and transit authorities said Friday that they were moving to bolster security on passenger rail lines around the country, particularly in the crowded Northeast corridors. But some officials warned that rail and subway systems remained particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks like the ones in Madrid.

In the hours after the attacks, officials busily moved to put more bomb-detection teams, electronic devices and other measures in place from Washington to New York to Seattle. Transportation experts said, however, that the Madrid bombings underscored the fact that rail security had lagged woefully behind aviation improvements since the 9/11 attacks. And Democrats in Congress quickly proposed a $500 million commitment for rail security to help narrow the gap.

American security officials said that while they had no specific intelligence about imminent attacks in the United States, Al Qaeda had made clear that it considered commuter train and subway systems to be vulnerable.

"We do know that Al Qaeda looks to hit us hard and that mass transit is something they've consistently referenced," Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said at a news conference on Friday. Investigators were still trying to determine whether the group was responsible for the Madrid bombings on Thursday....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/13/national/13ATTA.html

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Good! It beats the hell out of color-coded amorphous alerts. nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. As usual, a day late and a dollar short

that's our Dept. of Homeland Security.

They issue one alert after another, of course at politically convenient times, and nothing happens. But when something big happens they haven't got a clue and never see it coming.

[RC]

3. So now train passengers will be subject to the

same intrusive boarding examinations as airplane passengers? That ought to help the rush hour traffic.