Major California Bridges May Be Terrorist Targets
3:31 PM PST,November 1, 2001
UPDATE
By LEON DROUIN KEITH , Associated Press
Gov. Gray Davis warned Thursday that terrorists may be targeting four California bridges for an attack in the next week.
Law enforcement officials have "credible evidence" that terrorists are plotting a rush-hour attack on the Golden Gate Bridge or Bay Bridge, both in San Francisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles, or the San Diego Coronado Bridge.
The attacks were planned between Friday and Nov. 9, Davis said at a Los Angeles press conference.
Security around the bridges has been heightened and involves personnel ranging from the U.S. Coast Guard to the California Highway Patrol.
"The best preparation is to let terrorists know, we know what you're up to, we're ready for you." Davis said.
Davis said the information came from several law enforcement agencies including the FBI.
Although hundreds of bomb threats have been called in to authorities about sites in California, this is only the second threat judged to be credible since the Sept. 11 attacks, Davis said. The first targeted Los Angeles movie studios.
"The state is taking the lead role and we are cooperating with all the police agencies involved at this time to secure and make sure the bridge is safe," said Sheila Gonzales, spokeswoman for the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest port in the nation.
Representatives of the FBI and the California Highway Patrol joined Davis at a press conference where he also named a former FBI agent as his special adviser on state security issues.
Davis announced his appointment of George Vinson, a 23-year veteran of the FBI to the newly created post.
Vinson, 57, of Gold River previously served as assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco office where he developed the Bay Area Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The state security officer will advise Davis on the latest anti-terrorism strategies and act as a liaison to the federal Office of Homeland Security, governor's spokesman Steve Maviglio said.
He also said the state security adviser will be paid out of the governor's office portion of the existing state budget. A salary was not immediately set.
"This will make our job easier. It will make us more efficient," said Maj. Gen. Paul Monroe, adjuntant general of the California National Guard.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Maviglio said, the governor has created a statewide database to track suspected terrorists, called in experts to study bioterrorism threats and has boosted security.
The four California bridges identified by Gov. Gray Davis as possible terrorist targets:
• Golden Gate Bridge: A 4,200-foot-long suspension span across the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It has had more than 1.6 billion vehicle crossings since it opened in 1937.
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge: Carries Interstate 80 between San Francisco and Alameda counties. The 4½-mile length incorporates suspension, cantilever and truss, and tunnel structures. It carries some 270,000 vehicles daily.
• Vincent Thomas Bridge: Crossing over Los Angeles Harbor's main channel, it is a 6,062-foot-long suspension bridge carrying four-lane State Route 47 between Terminal Island and San Pedro. Its deck clears the channel by 185 feet.
• San Diego-Coronado Bridge: Spans 11,179 feet in an arc across San Diego Bay to Coronado Island, clearing the water by 200 feet. It links downtown with the affluent community of Coronado and handles 69,000 vehicles each day. The "island" is actually a peninsula that is home to North Island Naval Air Station, part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the Navy. The Naval Air Station includes Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, which is the West Coast focal point for special and expeditionary warfare training and operations.
3:31 PM PST,November 1, 2001 Talk about it E-mail story Print
UPDATE
Major California Bridges May Be Terrorist Targets
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By LEON DROUIN KEITH , Associated Press
Gov. Gray Davis warned Thursday that terrorists may be targeting four California bridges for an attack in the next week.
Law enforcement officials have "credible evidence" that terrorists are plotting a rush-hour attack on the Golden Gate Bridge or Bay Bridge, both in San Francisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles, or the San Diego Coronado Bridge.
The attacks were planned between Friday and Nov. 9, Davis said at a Los Angeles press conference.
Security around the bridges has been heightened and involves personnel ranging from the U.S. Coast Guard to the California Highway Patrol.
"The best preparation is to let terrorists know, we know what you're up to, we're ready for you." Davis said.
Davis said the information came from several law enforcement agencies including the FBI.
Although hundreds of bomb threats have been called in to authorities about sites in California, this is only the second threat judged to be credible since the Sept. 11 attacks, Davis said. The first targeted Los Angeles movie studios.
"The state is taking the lead role and we are cooperating with all the police agencies involved at this time to secure and make sure the bridge is safe," said Sheila Gonzales, spokeswoman for the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest port in the nation.
Representatives of the FBI and the California Highway Patrol joined Davis at a press conference where he also named a former FBI agent as his special adviser on state security issues.
Davis announced his appointment of George Vinson, a 23-year veteran of the FBI to the newly created post.
Vinson, 57, of Gold River previously served as assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco office where he developed the Bay Area Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The state security officer will advise Davis on the latest anti-terrorism strategies and act as a liaison to the federal Office of Homeland Security, governor's spokesman Steve Maviglio said.
He also said the state security adviser will be paid out of the governor's office portion of the existing state budget. A salary was not immediately set.
"This will make our job easier. It will make us more efficient," said Maj. Gen. Paul Monroe, adjuntant general of the California National Guard.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Maviglio said, the governor has created a statewide database to track suspected terrorists, called in experts to study bioterrorism threats and has boosted security.
The four California bridges identified by Gov. Gray Davis as possible terrorist targets:
• Golden Gate Bridge: A 4,200-foot-long suspension span across the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It has had more than 1.6 billion vehicle crossings since it opened in 1937.
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge: Carries Interstate 80 between San Francisco and Alameda counties. The 4½-mile length incorporates suspension, cantilever and truss, and tunnel structures. It carries some 270,000 vehicles daily.
• Vincent Thomas Bridge: Crossing over Los Angeles Harbor's main channel, it is a 6,062-foot-long suspension bridge carrying four-lane State Route 47 between Terminal Island and San Pedro. Its deck clears the channel by 185 feet.
• San Diego-Coronado Bridge: Spans 11,179 feet in an arc across San Diego Bay to Coronado Island, clearing the water by 200 feet. It links downtown with the affluent community of Coronado and handles 69,000 vehicles each day. The "island" is actually a peninsula that is home to North Island Naval Air Station, part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the Navy. The Naval Air Station includes Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, which is the West Coast focal point for special and expeditionary warfare training and operations.
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