High alert

Local forces beef up security after US issues warning

Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

THE JAMAICAN police were placed on high alert yesterday after the United States (US) Department of State issued a worldwide alert warning that the killing of terror mastermind, Osama bin Laden, could trigger attacks against American installations across the globe.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds would not discuss the measures that have been implemented, or the areas targeted, but said overt and covert initiatives are among those put in place.

Hinds, who is in charge of operations, said Jamaican law-enforcement personnel, through the National Intelligence Bureau, are also engaged in hourly intelligence sharing with their US counterparts.

"We are monitoring all the mediums through which communications take place, and we are applying the appropriate responses to ensure that Jamaicans remain safe."

"We have heightened our security levels, especially as it relates to being in a state of readiness to counter any threat of terrorism," Hinds said.

Security arrangements at the three international airports and the US Embassy in Kingston remained unchanged, but officials indicated that they were closely monitoring the situation.

Director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby said the US Transportation Security Administration is doing a global threat analysis which will guide the security arrangements at the airports.

"We want life to continue as normally as possible, so we are not going to be escalating our security posture at the moment, but we are not going to be relaxing it," Derby told The Gleaner.

"If there is any reason to take any specific precaution, we will," he added.

Public relations officer at the US Embassy in St Andrew, Yolonda Kerney, said there have been no changes or disruptions in its operations.

Kerney declined to elaborate, but pointed to the alert issued by the US State Department in Washington warning Americans travelling or living overseas of the "enhanced potential" for anti-US violence following the counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan that led to bin Laden's death.

"US citizens are urged to stay current with media coverage of local events, and be aware of their surroundings at all times. This alert pertains to both the official diplomatic community, as well as private American citizens residing in all countries abroad," read a section of the advisory.

Bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader who is believed to have plotted and funded the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, on September 11, 2001, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, was killed during a 40-minute gun battle with elite US troops on Sunday.

US President Barack Obama, who made the announcement during a dramatic late-night news conference at the White House, said the world is a better place with bin Laden dead.

Islamic activists have pledged to avenge bin Laden's death.

"We will take our revenge on behalf of the Islamic Ummah for the death of the Sheikh of Islam. Whoever wishes this to be the end of jihad or a means to weaken the organisation, I say to him: Wait a little," read one online post.