California responds to bridge threat

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Gov. Gray Davis said Thursday that law enforcement officials have “credible evidence” that terrorists may be targeting four California bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge.

The FBI, however, said in a statement that authorities had not yet corroborated the information, but decided to issue a warning.

“Reportedly, unspecified groups are targeting suspension bridges on the West Coast,” the FBI said in a statement. Six “incidents” were planned during rush hour between Friday and Nov. 9, the statement said.

The bridges identified by Davis as possible targets were the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge, both in San Francisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles, and the Coronado Bridge in San Diego.

Security around the bridges has been heightened and involves the National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol.

“The best preparation is to let terrorists know that we know what you’re up to, we’re ready for you,” Davis said during a news conference in which he also appointed the state’s new terrorism security czar.

Justice Department spokeswoman Mindy Tucker said the information that prompted Thursday’s warning was “at a lower level” than the information that led to the FBI’s alert Monday. “We are working to verify the validity” of the information, Tucker said.

The Golden Gate, a 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It has had more than 1.6 billion vehicle crossings since it opened in 1937. The 4 1/2-mile long San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge carries about 270,000 vehicles daily.

“We feel we’re well-prepared for any nefarious and criminal actions,” said Jeff Weiss, spokesman for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. “We’re routinely inspecting the IDs of workers … on the bridge to assure that everyone who is on the bridge belongs on the bridge.”