*EPF411 07/08/2004
Ridge Says Al-Qa'ida Plans Large-Scale Attack on U.S.
(Threat appears aimed at disrupting November national elections) (460)

Washington -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said July 8 that the international terrorist group al-Qa'ida intends to carry out a large-scale attack against the United States, with the goal of disrupting the two national political conventions and the November 2 national elections.

"Now, based on the attack in Madrid [Spain] ... as well as recent interdictions in England, Jordan, and Italy, we know that they have the capability to succeed," Ridge said during a Washington news briefing.

But he added that al-Qa'ida is operating from the "mistaken belief" that such an attack would effectively disrupt national political conventions and elections or disrupt U.S. efforts to defeat terrorism.

However, Ridge said the United States lacks "precise knowledge about time, place, and method of attack, but along with the CIA, FBI, and other agencies, we are actively working to gain that knowledge."

He said there is no specific knowledge as to whether an attack might target either the Democratic national convention in Boston in July or the Republican national convention in New York in August. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Homeland Security does have plans under way to "ramp up security."

There has been an effort to increase counterterrorism vigilance, based on the impact created when terrorists effectively coordinated pre-election train bombings in Madrid on March 11. Those attacks killed nearly 200 people and effectively influenced political changes in Spain.

However, U.S. federal and state governments have already begun exhaustive preparations for the two political conventions, which have been designated national security special events. That designation brings additional federal funds, increased preparations and heightened security.

Ridge said, however, that there are no immediate plans to alter the nation's terrorist threat level from "elevated," or code yellow, which is the third of five color-coded levels on the chart.

"We are constantly reviewing threat reporting and strengthening the nation's security," he said. "We have permanent protections in place today that did not exist a year ago, and for all intents and purposes didn't exist five or six months ago. These protections make it harder for terrorists to attack us."

Ridge said that, as of July 8, the Department of Homeland Security has full connectivity with every state through the Homeland Security Operations Center. The center handles information-reporting and incident-management, he said. This is a goal that was met five months ahead of schedule.

The center allows the federal government to share law enforcement and intelligence information with all 50 states, 50 major cities, and thousands of state and local agencies 24 hours a day, he said.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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