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US airport security reinforced following UK attacks

Following the events in London and Glasgow, the US yesterday heightened security at airports, train and mass transit stations but officials did not raise the alert level nationwide.

"There is no indication of any specific or credible threat to the US, no change in the overall security level," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

"However at airports there are some alertness-raising measures that the TSA [Transportation Security Administration] has invoked," he said.

"You are likely to see those in the increased presence of some TSA agents outside terminals, there will be some inconvenience to passengers in terms of longer wait times," Snow said.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said top US government security officials were in "close contact" with their British counterparts and that US officials met on Friday and Saturday to discuss the events in Britain.

"At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this latest incident is connected to a threat to the homeland," Chertoff said in a statement.

"We have no plans at this time to change the national threat level, although we remind everyone that the aviation threat level has been raised to orange since last fall," he said, referring to the "high" threat level designated by the color orange.

The rest of the US remains at the yellow or "elevated" level.

Chertoff said Homeland Security would strengthen security measures at airports especially in view of the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
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