As a precaution, The state will raise the security level from blue to yellow today at 3 p.m., Gov. Linda Lingle announced this morning.
Lingle raises state
security alert level
War affecting isle travelBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comThe increased level will result in increased security at power plants and oil refineries in the state, and in public buildings, she said.
The security level increase is due to the expiration of President Bush's deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq and not a threat in Hawaii, Lingle said.
"The decision to raise our security alert status was based on the best available intelligence provided by the U.S. military and the Department of Homeland Security," Lingle said.
"There is still no credible or direct threat to the state," the governor said.
She said the yellow threat level coincides with the threat level of Bravo Plus, which has been instituted at military installations in Hawaii.
The yellow level means there will be increased surveillance of critical locations, coordination of emergency plans, assessments and further refinement of protective measures and further refinement of protective measures, Lingle explained.
"I want to emphasize the importance of keeping alert, while going on with our normal daily lives," Lingle added.
She also said that the state, with the financial assistance of Central Pacific Bank will mail a Hawaii Homeland Security Advisory System guide to every household in the state.
The mailings are expected to start next week.
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IN THE KUWAITI DESERT >> Long columns of U.S. troops, armored vehicles and trucks advanced through swirling sand toward the Iraqi border today, positioning themselves to invade on short notice. Activity signals
Iraq’s zero hour
is fast approachingAssociated Press
With just hours left before President Bush's deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq, increased air activity -- helicopters and jets -- could be heard near the border.
At sea, combat pilots and others on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt were ordered to snooze through the day so they could work through the night. Those on the USS Harry S. Truman remained on day duty -- thus providing round-the-clock combat capability.
Maj. Gen. Buford Blount III, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, ordered his 20,000 soldiers and 10,000 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and fuel trucks to line up near the border.
One company commander led his troops in a Seminole war dance, and told the men to remove the American flags that fluttered from the tops of the tanks because "we will be entering Iraq as an army of liberation, not domination."
The soldiers had slept under the stars and a full moon after packing their tents into the back of their convoy, where they will likely stay until the worst of the fighting is over.
The 3rd Infantry Division is the only armored force in the region and is likely to attack Iraqi defenses head-on in the event of war. Troops of the 101st are expected to be flown in on helicopters to seize key installations ahead of the 3rd Division.
At the Army's Camp New Jersey, the commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade summoned his officers for a "battle update" briefing. "We are one day closer to making history, everybody," said Col. Michael Linnington.
A strong sandstorm swept through today, affecting several units and hampering movement and visibility. The wind later died down, but a lot of haze remained, with visibility a little over a mile.
Blowing sand cut visibility to about 500 yards in the Persian Gulf, where the United States and Britain have assembled an armada of carriers, guided missile cruisers and other warships.
Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, said, "We always watch the weather because it has an effect on flying conditions and really a lot of the activities you can see. Everything takes a little bit longer."
"It'll slow things down somewhat, but our soldiers will get everything done in the end," Petraeus said.
About 300,000 troops -- most of them from the United States, about 40,000 from Britain -- waited within striking distance of Iraq. Backing them were scores of attack helicopters and more than 1,000 airplanes.
One country in the region, Bahrain, publicly offered exile to Saddam "in a dignified manner that should not be seen as undermining Iraq's position and capabilities."
But there was no sign the Iraqi leader had any intention of accepting the offer. Instead, defiance was the order of the day by Iraqi officials.
Bush met with his top aides at the White House, and sent formal notice to Congress that reliance on "further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone" would not suffice to counter "the continuing threat posed by Iraq."
His spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said the nation "ought to be prepared for the loss" of American lives once the military effort begins.
Aides said the attack wouldn't necessarily start at 3 p.m. Hawaii time -- the deadline Bush fixed Monday. Instead, they said the commander in chief would decide on timing based on the advice of his military commanders.
Apart from the desire to capture weapons of mass destruction, Bush's submission to Congress said a military attack could lead to the discovery of information that would allow the apprehension of terrorists living in the United States.
