[ OUR OPINION ]
Report of terror plot
calls for explanation
HAWAII residents have every reason to be puzzled about the level of terrorist threat to the islands. While the nation's color-coded level bounced back and forth between the yellow "elevated" risk and the orange "high" level of threat, Hawaii coasted along at the lesser, blue "guarded" condition. During that same period, terrorists reportedly were believed by U.S. intelligence to be contemplating an attack on Pearl Harbor. Explanation is needed.
THE ISSUEIntelligence officials reportedly learned of a terrorist plan to target Pearl Harbor while Hawaii remained at a moderate alert level.
When present Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced the risk system nearly a year ago, he placed the entire country at yellow, mid-range in the five-color code. However, Ridge said the national system would be only "advisory" and that governors and mayors could use their own system. New York chose to operate at the orange level while Hawaii opted for blue. Utah and New Jersey also declared their independence from the national color, and Delaware joined the small group last weekend, debuting as yellow, same as the federal level.
When Ridge heightened the national risk level from yellow to orange on Feb. 7, Lingle said Hawaii's risk level would not budge from blue -- two levels below the national risk level. "We will increase our diligence as related to the blue guarded guidelines, and feel that our civil defense team and adjacent organizations are prepared," said the new governor. State Adjutant Gen. Robert Lee said Hawaii faced "no credible threat."
However, the Washington Times reported yesterday that it had learned from federal intelligence officials that terrorists linked to al-Qaida had targeted military facilities in Pearl Harbor. Reports of the threat had been sent to senior U.S. officials in the past two weeks, coinciding with the planning of the major attack by the terrorist group that had prompted Ridge to increase the colored risk to orange, according to the Times report.
The newspaper quoted anonymous officials as saying the attacks would be carried out by hijacked airliners from Honolulu Airport and would be flown into submarines or ships docked at Pearl Harbor. Eighteen nuclear-powered submarines and 12 warships are docked at the harbor.
Federal officials would not comment on the record to other news organizations about the report. A spokesman for Adm. Thomas Fargo, the Pacific forces commander, would say only, short of a denial, "The CINCPAC doesn't care about anything reported in the Washington Times." The newspaper's report cannot be so easily dismissed. While secondary in prestige to the Washington Post, the Times' conservative political stance has given it access to the Bush administration.
The report raises the question about whether state officials, in deciding upon Hawaii's risk level, are made privy to classified information that should have a bearing on such a decision. The state's tourism industry may benefit from the governor boasting that Hawaii is one of the safest states in the nation, as she told a national TV audience on Friday. Such a claim should be based on knowledge.
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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4748; mpoole@starbulletin.com
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