- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice
President Dick Cheney moved to an undisclosed location on Tuesday and canceled
his only public appearance of the day, reflecting heightened security precautions
ahead of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on America, officials
said.
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- The move came as the U.S. government announced it had
increased its nationwide threat level, citing information from an al Qaeda
source indicating that American targets are at high risk of terrorist attack.
It was the second time in as many days that Cheney was moved to a secret
location.
-
- A similar procedure was followed soon after the Sept.
11 attacks, when Cheney spent a substantial amount of time in undisclosed
locations to ensure a continuity of government should President Bush be
killed. Cheney is next in line for the presidency.
-
- White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Cheney spent
Monday night at a "secure, undisclosed location."
-
- Administration officials said he would do so again Tuesday
night, and would not attend a Center for Strategic and International Studies
dinner as planned. Cheney was scheduled to address the group. A videotape
of his remarks will be aired instead, officials said.
-
- "The vice president is at an undisclosed location
at this time," said an administration official, who asked not to be
identified.
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- Cheney worked briefly at the White House on Tuesday morning
before returning to hiding.
-
- The White House would not say how long Cheney would remain
there, or whether he was moved in response to a specific threat against
him or the president.
-
- On the eve of the one year anniversary of the Sept. 11
attacks, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced a change in the country's
color-coded threat level to "orange" to reflect the "high
risk of terrorist attacks."
-
- Bush said he was not aware of any specific threat to
the United States. But he said the threats appeared similar to the pattern
before the Sept. 11 attacks.
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- After the attacks Bush set in motion a Cold War-era plan
to keep the government running, sending civilian officials to live and
work in secret bunkers outside Washington. Initially a temporary measure,
the program was extended indefinitely.
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- Cheney's absence became apparent on Monday night when
he did not show up for a planned appearance with Bush at a Kennedy Center
musical commemoration of the attack anniversary.
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- Fleischer said the decision was based on an "an
ongoing review of information that is received" and on other precautions.
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- "The combination of the two are what makes these
determinations necessary," Fleischer said.
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