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Washington Scene NewsFlash:
MID-EAST REALITIES © - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 7/12: Last year, during the height of rush hour, one of the largest streets leading to downtown Washington was suddenly closed, the backup extending for miles. After more than an hour a muffled explosion could be heard...and shortly thereafter things were back to normal. It seems something "suspicious" was found not far from the Israeli Embassy, caused a bit of a panic, was blown up...and that was that. These days on a permanent basis traffic near the Israeli Embassy has been cut off to a single lane with extra explosion barricades put up, a 24-hour a day police watch is in effect, and of course high-tech surveillance is everywhere.
Today it was low-tech at the White House. A few barks from the sniffers dogs and even after all the security checks required to get into the White House grounds the Secret Service pulled the alarm and quickly began the evacuation procedure.
Washington is ready. Washington is nervous. Sooner or later, especially in view of the way the U.S. has conducted itself in recent years, something big will in fact happen. If and when the Israelis go for the "big bang" one can expect even more tension and "security" in the American capital. For no matter what the Americans say U.S. complicity in what is happening in the once Holy Land is rather evident now, not to mention the American occupation of Arabia, the destruction of Iraq, and ongoing American support for the most repressive and brutal "client regimes" throughout the region.
WASHINGTON -- AP, Thursday, 12 July, 11:31am: The West Wing of the White House was partially evacuated Thursday after a car parked on the driveway nearby raised suspicions. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney remained working inside.
People were asked to leave the press office and briefing room of the West Wing, the closest offices to the driveway. Offices also were evacuated in the Old Executive Office Building, which faces the driveway.
Press secretary Ari Fleischer was briefing reporters in his office when an aide, Gordon Johndroe, handed him a note. Fleischer told reporters to leave the building.
The press area was evacuated shortly after 11 a.m., along with other portions of the West Wing, according to two White House officials.
Fleischer said offices on the north side of the White House, the side closest to the vehicle, were evacuated. The Oval Office faces south; Cheney's office is in the middle of the West Wing.
Fleischer, calling from Cheney's office, said, the Secret Service acted after a dog smelled a car and barked.
"That's what they're doing," he said. "On this side of the West Wing, it's business as usual."
Earlier, the Secret Service closed access to the driveway leading to the West Wing of the White House because of suspicions raised about a car parked a few feet from the West Wing.
Vehicles on the White House grounds are routinely checked by dogs trained to smell materials used in explosives.
| Mid-East Realities | www.middleeast.org |
| Source: http://www.middleeast.org/articles/2001/7/279.htm |