U.S. might help states' terror alert costs

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge indicated Tuesday that the federal government might help with costs incurred by cash-strapped states in raising the nation’s terror alert status as war against Iraq looms. “There may be an opportunity to help the states” meet the cost of the latest hike in the threat level through a supplemental appropriations bill the president has proposed, he said. “We’ll see what happens in terms of whether there’s an ability to share or defray some to these costs at the federal level at a later time. Time will tell.” But he said no one was worrying about paying the bills for the massive security operations codenamed “Liberty Shield” at this stage. “The first priority, that everyone accepted last night (during a conference calls with all 50 state governors) without hesitation, was the need to work together to make sure that we implemented Liberty Shield,” Ridge said. “No one asked about additional finances … Everybody understood the No. 1 priority is to protect America and our way of life.” Monday evening, Ridge’s department announced a massive nationwide security operation designed to protect the United States against terrorist acts — including those involving chemical, biological or radiological weapons — as a result of any U.S.-led assault on Iraq. Full Story