No terrorism threat known

Jace Radke

Friday, July 9, 2004 | 9:03 a.m.

While Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced that there are reports of possible terrorist attacks designed to disrupt the upcoming elections, law enforcement officials in Nevada said they know of no threats to the state.

"It's business as usual," said George Togliatti, director of the state Public Safety Department and homeland security advisor to Gov. Kenny Guinn. "We have absolutely nothing to suggest anything in the state."

Togliatti said that the state is not increasing security or adding any new measures in the wake of Ridge's announcement.

In a press conference Thursday Ridge said that the United States is tightening security in the face of a steady stream of intelligence indicating al-Qaida may seek to mount an attack aimed at disrupting elections.

Ridge said the Bush administration based its decision to bolster security on "credible" reports about al-Qaida's plans, coupled with the pre-election terror attack in Spain earlier this year and recent arrests in England, Jordan and Italy.

U.S. officials do not have specific knowledge about where, when or how such an attack would take place, but the CIA, FBI and other agencies "are actively working to gain that knowledge," Ridge said.

FBI spokesman for the Las Vegas field office, Special Agent Todd Palmer, said that the FBI continues to work to prevent terrorist attacks and that "there is not a specific threat to Las Vegas."

Special teams of FBI agents and other federal law enforcement personnel continue to prepare security for national political conventions later this summer, Palmer said.

Metro Police officials also reported having no information of any threat against Las Vegas, and said that the local color-coded terror alert status will stay at yellow. The federal government is leaving the national alert level at yellow as well.

"There are no new specific, credible threats to the people or infrastructure of Clark County," said Capt. Mike McClary, Metro homeland security chief. "We had telephone calls with the Department of Homeland Security this afternoon (Thursday) and there is nothing new to report.

"I think that Secretary Ridge was trying remind everyone that the U.S. is an al-Qaida target and that we have to maintain our vigilance."

At his weekly press conference Thursday, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said that he would not change his routine based on vague alerts, and said the lack of specific information on threats is not enough to warrant altering flights or staying away from public places.