The head of the nation’s antiterrorism campaign reassured Southern California officials Thursday that efforts were under way in the nation’s capital to ease the funding headaches brought on by the ramping up of homeland security. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge visited the bustling San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego before traveling north for a speech to police and other “first responders” in the Los Angeles area. “We know that mobilizing at a high level of readiness presents a financial burden to communities,” Ridge said in Los Angeles. “That’s why the president signed an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that allocates more than $2.2 billion to help reimburse state and local governments.” Los Angeles has been considered a tempting target for terrorists due to its large population, tourist attractions, Hollywood studios and busy airports. Los Angeles International Airport was the apparent target of a foiled Millennium New Year’s bomb plot by Algerian terrorists, and a shooting by an Egyptian-born man left two dead at the El Al ticket counter last Fourth of July. “In Southern California you can clearly see the entire homeland security panorama,” Ridge said. “As you head north (from San Diego), you pass nuclear power plants, oil refineries and other guarded, yet highly visible critical infrastructure. Farther northwest are the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the busiest and second busiest ports in the nation.” Full Story
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