The United States was on high security alert today on the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks, deploying anti-aircraft missiles around Washington, closing embassies across Asia, and appealing to Americans at home and abroad to be on guard.
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The US government has promised extraordinary security and surveillance at events commemorating the attacks. President George W Bush, who will visit the three sites where some 3,000 people perished, urged Americans to "go about their lives" as normal even as his vice president, Mr Dick Cheney, was moved to an undisclosed location as a security precaution.
"We'll do everything we can to protect the American people," Mr Bush said after Attorney General Mr John Ashcroft announced the first increase in the nationwide threat level to "orange," the second highest, to reflects a "high risk of terrorist attacks."
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Officials said information from debriefings with a senior al Qaeda operative and from US intelligence agencies pointed to possible attacks on American facilities in southeast Asia or possible suicide attacks on US interests by individuals in the Middle East.
"We are very concerned about a full range of terrorist activities," Mr Ashcroft said at a news conference. Officials singled out symbols of American power, from embassies and military bases to corporate interests, as possible targets.
In response, several US embassies and consulates in south and southeast Asia have closed. Some embassies in Africa, where two US embassies were bombed in 1998, will also be shuttered during the anniversary.
The headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, where 4,000 sailors and other troops are based, was put on the highest alert. "We have credible information about threats against US installations in the region," one official said.
Within the United States, officials promise tight security at the federal, state and local level, through a combination of combat air patrols and increased police and FBI presence at monuments and other key sites.
Around Washington, heat-seeking Stinger missiles will be deployed on military jeeps with firing and guidance units. "This is not a response to a specific threat. It is a prudent preparation to improve the air defence posture of the national capital region," one senior defence official said.
Under special rules for the September 11th anniversary, airline passengers will also be required to stay seated for 30 minutes after takeoff and prior to landing at New York and Washington airports on today.