http://www.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-9940105-0.html?tag=ats [Its a little odd this is buried in the investor section of CNet, but then again, why worry everyone further than they are now. This is just the kind of news I want to hear about, and if this story, sketchy that it is, is true, I feel these guards should be rewarded somehow for keeping alert and chasing off these two. My sister, who works in downtown Chicago is rather freaked (as is most anyone working in the city) about having to take the train in, and then walk past large Chicago landmarks (The Sears Tower) to her office. As I point out to her on a regular basis, if it doesn't look normal (Not much of anything in a major metropolitan city is normal anyways) to point this out to the local beat cops, building security or the FBI. Someone videotapping the Sears Tower at 9am on a Monday is likely harmless, if they are there again the next day at the same time, and same place with a video camera, that is not normal, and should be pointed out to someone. This is the kind of vigilance that is needed to keep attacks from happening in Chicago, the U.S. or anywhere else terrorism is a problem. - William Knowles 5-22-02] 5/21/02 5:45 PM Source: Reuters NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - Alarms sounded at Pennsylvania power plants this weekend, already on heightened alert after the Sept. 11 attacks, when two "Middle Eastern-looking" men unsuccessfully tried to enter a rural power plant, industry officials said on Tuesday. The two men, who told authorities they were contractors, fled from the Westwood power plant not far from the state capital of Harrisburg when guards asked them for identification before allowing them inside. The guards immediately notified local police, the FBI and PJM, the regional power grid operator. The rural, natural gas-fired power plant, owned by WPS Resources Corp., is about 35 miles (56 km) north of the state capital of Harrisburg. State and federal agencies said they either had not heard of or declined to comment on the episode. Local police said they could provide no information on the mens' identities or whereabouts. An FBI spokeswoman declined to confirm whether they had even been told of the incident. "We are cooperating fully with local authorities and the FBI," said Jim Streed, spokesman for plant owner WPS. A spokesman for the PJM power grid said they alerted local utilities and plant operators to the incident as soon as they heard about it. "We got the notice from WPS and sent it out to our other power plant and utility members," Ray Dotter, the PJM spokesman, said. Dotter said they also notified the National Infrastructure Protection Center, a branch of the FBI that deals with the nation's energy, telecommunications and water infrastructure. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Governor's Office said the State Office of Homeland Security was not aware of the incident and had not seen any security memo on the subject. But memos of the episode describing the men as "Middle Eastern in origin" were circulated among the region's power traders and control room operators. Power plants nationwide have been on a heightened state of alert since the Sept. 11 hijacked airplane attacks on the Pentagon and New York City. Earlier Tuesday, the FBI warned New Yorkers of "general threats" against the city, its bridges and other landmarks. - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomoat_private with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.
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