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CNN Live Today

09/11 Security

Aired September 09, 2002 - 12:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There is renewed fear, justified or not, about another attack on the anniversary of September 11th.
Our Jeanne Meserve looks at special measures being taken for Wednesday. She joins us from Washington with some of what she's found out.

Hi, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Many of the special security measures we know about concern aviation. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, resumed 24-hour combat air patrols over Washington and New York on Friday. Airline passengers flying in and out of New York's five major airports and the three in Washington will have to stay in their seats for the first 30 minutes and last 30 minutes of their flights. And general aviation will be restricted within the 30 nautical mile radius around commemorative events in New York, Shanksville, Pennsylvania and Washington.

In addition, air traffic control procedures are going to be put in place that will call for more separation between aircraft and more holding patterns. The FAA is warning that this could be more delays, in New York's airports in particular. Here in Washington, the joint operations center will be partially activated on the 11th. That will allow the metropolitan police, FBI, and Secret Service to monitor intelligence and react quickly if necessary. The city will also beef up policing around local mosques.

But D.C. officials say the federal government has not requesting any special street closings, and they predict police staffing levels will be normal. The U.S. park police says it will have some higher staffing around the national monuments here in Washington, though a spokesman says they are not aware of any specific threats.

A spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service anticipates that at its sites, including office building, detention facilities and points of entry, his agency will be operating at the highest level of security and scrutiny. In addition, the INS this week will begin fingerprinting some foreign visitors who they think pose a security risk. Otherwise, at the borders, no new measures for the anniversary of the attacks. INS and customs officials, and officials of many other agencies say they are already on the highest possible state of alert, and have been since last September 11th -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: So, Jeanne, by working a number of your sources, talking to other officials, how concerned are key players with the likelihood of an attack on September 11th?

MESERVE: Well, let me say, first of all, the threat level remains at level yellow, where it has been. There is some concern because this is anniversary date and has some significance. Al Qaeda is not known to mark anniversary dates, but other terrorist groups were. Also there has been increased chatter in the system. Officials in the government don't know exactly what to make of that, but it does give them some concern.

What all of them emphasized over and over again is this: There has been no credible and specific threat centered around September 11th -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK, Jeanne Meserve, thanks.

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