FBI Urges Vigilance ahead of U.S. Independence Day
The warning came in a series of secret communications between FBI headquarters here and police departments across the country that are increasingly concerned that fourth of July crowds could be an attractive target for foreign militants, one of the officials told AFP.
"We have nothing specifically about the fourth of July," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"But the fourth of July is a national celebration with large crowds, and we are reminding people to be vigilant and be aware of their surroundings." As it gears up for the celebrations, the FBI has not issued any public security alerts, which have been criticized in the past as excessively frequent, alarmist and lacking specificity and corroboration.
Instead, the official said, it has "reached out to our law enforcement partners on the state and local level in view of the big holiday." According to the ***New York Times***, which first reported the warning on its web site earlier Saturday, the secret instructions went out of FBI headquarters last Wednesday.
But the official said FBI executives began discussing preparations for the 4th of July with the agency's 56 field offices several weeks ago and have continued ever since.
"We are keeping the lines of communication open," the official pointed out.
On top of that, the nation's leading law enforcement agency has set up a special command center in Washington charged with coordinating security arrangements for July 4, which are expected to be particularly tight this year.
The U.S. military will resume air patrols over major American cities, including Washington, New York and Los Angeles, while the federal aviation administration has declared no-fly zones over national landmarks, officials said.
The landmarks include the statue of liberty in New York, Mount Rushmore in south Dakota and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.