| Threat levels reduced to previous levels
Home Office announcement: This change is being publicly announced in line with the Government's policy, announced to Parliament in July, that came into operation on 1st August. Home Secretary's statement: “Last Thursday, the threat level was raised to Critical. As I said then, this was a precautionary measure - based on an assessment of the possibility of terrorist activity in the immediate aftermath of the action taken by the police. “There has now been time to assess the intelligence picture following the police operation. The police believe that the main suspects in the alleged plot were arrested last week. “Threat level assessments are intelligence-led. It is not a process where scientific precision is possible. They involve judgments. “The public needs to know that there may be other people out there who may be planning an attack against the UK. That is why there are a number of other Security Service operations underway. “I want to stress, therefore, that the change in the threat level does not mean that the threat has gone away. “There is still a very serious threat of an attack. The threat level is at Severe, indicating the high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage, and I urge the public to remain vigilant.” DHS announcement: For Immediate Release Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an adjustment in the aviation threat level from RED to ORANGE for flights from the United Kingdom to the United States. There will not be any operational changes for domestic flights in the United States. Thus, the US threat level remains at ORANGE, or ‘High,’ for all domestic and international flights. The ban on liquids and gels in carry on baggage remains in full effect. Tonight, the UK’s terrorism threat level was changed from CRITICAL (an attack is expected imminently), to SEVERE (an attack is highly likely). “The security measures already taken have allowed us to address an imminent threat of attack for flights between the United Kingdom and the United States. Let me be clear: this does not mean the threat is over. The investigation continues to follow all leads. In particular, we are remaining vigilant for any signs of planning within the US or directed at Americans,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “We are maintaining a heightened level of security for United Kingdom flights bound for the United States and have put in place added measures for these flights even beyond the normal ORANGE procedures. The US and the UK are now essentially at parallel security levels in aviation. Additionally, we are maintaining our heightened level of security for all flights both domestically and internationally.” While the threat level drops from RED to ORANGE on United Kingdom flights bound to the United States, passengers can expect enhanced measures to remain in place for these flights, including additional restrictions on hand luggage and gate check inspections. Domestically, US travelers should expect to see an increase in visibility and use of canine detection teams. Random inspections of bags at departure gates will continue. Earlier today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced slight modifications to its current security procedures, which can be viewed at www.tsa.gov DHS will continue to evaluate these security measures and will further adjust as necessary to ensure the aviation system remains secure. Travelers are urged to remain alert and vigilant and report suspicious activity to authorities. Contact individual airlines for guidance on airport arrival times.
•Date: 15th August 2006• Region: UK/US •Type: Article •Topic: Warnings |
