Military jets will patrol the United States on July 4th as part of tighter security to protect Americans as they celebrate Independence Day nervous about fresh attacks after September 11th, the White House said today.
The security measures will include an increased police and FBI presence around the country as well as special monitoring of more than 2,000 events across the nation by a coordination center run by the White House Homeland Security Office.
US President George W. Bush yesterday urged Americans to celebrate the holiday "heartily" despite fears inspired by the September attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people and shredded many Americans' sense of security.
US officials have said they have no specific, credible information suggesting attacks against the United States are planned for July 4th but they are taking no chances, mobilizing law enforcement agencies and the military.
"There will be a substantial series of beefed up actions across the country to help make sure that the American people are safe," White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer told reporters.
"CAPS (combat air patrols) will be flying over several American cities and randomly throughout the nation. There will be enhanced local police and FBI presence throughout the country," Mr Fleischer added.
"A variety of actions are being taken on the ground in terms of greater resources, greater surveillance, greater protection, greater prevention, as well as immediate operations set up in Washington to handle eventualities," he said, saying the authorities want the public to "leave the worrying to us."
Given the absence of hard information suggesting that an attack is in the offing, US officials have so far left the national threat level at yellow ("elevated") - the midpoint on a five-step scale.