Homeland Secretary: US to roll out new terror alert system

The National Threat Advisory System will be augmented with an intermediate-level threat capacity, national security news outlet Defense One reported.

The Obama administration will announce changes to the terror alert system “in the coming days”, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday.

The U.S. will modify its warning system to alert citizens and companies about terrorist threats, replacing a two-tiered system with one it says is better suited to modern threats such as the attacks in California last week.

Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik were killed in an exchange of fire with police several hours later.

The secretary said DHS is working to deploy more customs officials to do stepped up security screenings at global airports and plans to bring preclearance screening abilities at 10 airports overseas.

“I believe that in this environment, we need to get beyond that and go to a new system that has an intermediate level to it and I’ll be announcing soon, hopefully, what our new system is, that I think, reflects the current environment and the current realities”, Johnson said at the event.

A color-coded alert system was put in place, following the 2001 attacks in NY and Washington, DC. President Barack Obama on Sunday night called the shooting an act of terrorism. He said a review of the system had been doing on for “quite some time”. “It could happen at a moment’s notice”.

“Given the nature of the Islamic State, a large segment of their fighting force are foreign terrorist fighters”, Johnson said.

Johnson cautioned, however, against vilifying Muslims.

The new alerts will be similar to intelligence bulletins the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DHS share with law enforcement agencies around the country, and not now with the public.

“We’re encouraging European countries to do more about their own internal security when it comes to travel”, he said listing off measures such as the addition of more USA air marshals on worldwide flights and expansion of USA security technology that can more easily recognize travelers.