Officials fine-tune attack warnings

WASHINGTON — Top federal officials yesterday issued their most pointed advice since Sept. 11, 2001, on precautions the public should take against terrorist attacks.

They warned that every home should be stocked with three days' worth of water and food in case of a strike with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

They also recommended that families consider designating a room where they will gather in the event of such an attack and have on hand duct tape and heavy plastic sheeting to seal it, as well as scissors, a manual can opener, blankets, flashlights, radios and spare batteries. The officials said they believe the al-Qaida terrorist network is particularly targeting New York and Washington, D.C.

Ranking officials of the Department of Homeland Security told reporters at a briefing that Americans must take some personal responsibility for protecting themselves, but stressed that people should not feel panicked or abandoned by government.

"We see information on citizen preparedness as prudent planning," said department spokesman Gordon Johndroe. But given al-Qaida's interest in obtaining weapons of mass destruction, he added, "it's appropriate for citizens to be informed about how to respond to a terrorist attack, much as people have prepared for years to be ready for tornadoes, hurricanes or floods."

"You have to talk to your family, and plan how you're going to communicate with each other" after a devastating terrorist attack, said David Paulison, a top civil-defense planner for the new department. For example, he said, families could designate a third party with whom telephone messages can be left.

While much of the information in yesterday's briefing has been previously offered to the public on government Web sites, the news conference was an effort to emphasize it. The briefing came three days after they raised the national terrorist-threat index to indicate a "high risk" of attack by the al-Qaida terrorist network on U.S. targets here and abroad, and officials suggested privately that they don't want the gravity of the current threat overlooked.

Law-enforcement and homeland security officials have come under some criticism since soon after the Sept. 11 attacks for offering the public frightening but vague warnings, and at the same time giving little guidance about what people can do.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft have often said Americans should "be vigilant," and on New Year's Eve, people were advised to "avoid crowds."

Terrorism experts said that, given large amounts of new intelligence, especially from Europe, suggesting that Americans could be targeted by weapons of mass destruction, U.S. government officials faced the same public-relations quandary they have faced in the past — but with higher stakes this time.

"They're not trying to scare people but to educate people," said Randall Larsen, director of the private Anser Institute for Homeland Security, who teaches security studies at the National War College. U.S. officials have studied the Israeli government's citizen-preparedness campaign before the Persian Gulf War, when Israeli families were given gas masks and plastic sheeting to protect them from possible chemical attacks by Iraqi Scud missiles, he said.

"The Israelis learned one main task is psychologically preparing the population," Larsen said. "Americans need to be prepared the way the Israelis are. The most important message we could send to terrorists after the next attack is get up and go to work the next morning."

Paulison said one of his key messages for the public is that, after a terrorist attack, people should listen to the news to learn what authorities are advising, and stay home if that is the recommendation. He said people should be prepared to be on their own for the first 24 to 48 hours after an attack.

Officials also offered details about actions the department has taken since Friday, when the threat level was raised from yellow to orange, the second-highest. Ridge, for example, held a conference call with 66 top corporate executives in charge of energy pipelines, utilities and other infrastructure to urge them to tighten security.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company