Federal security officials moved to step up security at financial centers and federal buildings in Washington and New York City on Monday in response to new intelligence about possible al-Qaeda threats, even as some terrorism experts worried that the increased security might simply prompt terrorists to choose other targets.
"You harden one target, you soften another," said John Gannon, a former deputy director of the CIA who now serves as staff director for the House of Repre-sentatives' Homeland Security Committee.
"We've got our finger in the dike in the right places on this one, but we have to look for other holes that the terrorists might come through," said Gannon, who was briefed over the weekend on the alleged increased terror threat.
Tom Ridge, secretary of homeland security, was to meet Governor George Pataki, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and chief executives from leading companies in New York yesterday. He was expected to review new security measures put in place to guard financial institutions, officials said.
On Sunday, Ridge raised the threat level to orange or "high risk" for the financial sectors in New York City, Northern New Jersey and Washington because of intelligence pointing to al-Qaeda reconnaissance missions targeting the financial industry.
Domestic security officials continued working with local law enforcement and private institutions in Washington and the New York area yesterday to bolster security in and around financial institutions by increasing visitor inspections, camera surveillance, armed patrols, canine teams and other measures, officials said.
Even before the latest threat information, federal officials have been using air-monitoring devices at locations in Manhattan, Newark and Washington to help detect biological attacks.
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