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QCan you bring us up to date on this suspicious package in DOD?
MR. BACON: The crisis is over.
QAnd what was it?
MR. BACON: The package was a box. But let me tell you what happened.
At approximately 11:45 today, somebody spotted a suspicious package -- that is, a box with wires sticking out of it -- in a ceiling in the "C" Ring. The alert person called the Defense Protective Service, the DPS, the fellows who guard the doors here, and asked them to investigate.
They brought in, first, some bomb-sniffing dogs, and then an EOD Team, explosive ordnance disposal team. They concluded that the box was something that had been left behind by an electrical contractor the day before. The contractor had been working on installing some new pass-reading machines for the Joint Staff area. As you know, they have controlled access to their National Military Command Center and other spaces in the Joint Staff area. And somebody was working on the pass-reading system.
The whole -- there was an area that was evacuated, including Chairman Shelton's office and the office of the J-3, the director of Operations for the Joint Staff. But everybody -- there was an "all clear" sounded at about 12:58, as I understand it.
So in a little more than an hour, everybody was back at work, and the area was declared safe.
I might --
QWas General Shelton among those moved, or is he not in the building today?
MR. BACON: General Shelton was in the building. He left briefly, as he evacuated his office. And I don't know whether he's back, but he's free to come back at any time -- (laughter) -- because his office is safe. And of course --
QJust a question -- I mean, just as a matter of procedure, why would he have to leave the building? Why couldn't he just go into the NMCC? Isn't that as secure?
MR. BACON: Well, I didn't say he had to leave the building. I said he had to leave his office.
QWell --
MR. BACON: Maybe he had some -- maybe he was going out to lunch -- I don't know -- or he was going out to run. I don't where he was going. But he did in fact leave his office and happened to leave the building at the same time. But he could well have -- this is a big building. He could have gone elsewhere. But whether he was going down to the athletic club or going for a walk or going to see somebody on Capitol Hill, I have no idea.
QWould you say that this building is a little jumpy during this period?
MR. BACON: No. I would say we're watchful, but we're always watchful.
There are five suspicious packages a month, on average, discovered in the building, and each one is investigated carefully. I know you're all aware of other times when corridors have been closed down and emptied out while the DPS and the EOD experts look at packages. So this is not an unusual event. It -- almost always we find that these packages are -- you know, somebody's mailed a friend a box of peanuts and failed to -- somehow nobody's figured out what it is, or somebody leaves behind a briefcase or a box of grapefruits that's not marked. And of these -- of all the suspicious packages, briefcases, boxes, et cetera, that have been investigated over the years -- as I say, an average of five a month, 60 a year -- no explosives or dangerous material have been found in any of the items left behind. But we do check them diligently.
QWas this a toolbox this guy left in the ceiling, or was this --
MR. BACON: No, I think it was a cardboard box, as I understand it, with some wires coming out of it.
QHm. That's a strange place to store it.
MR. BACON: Well, there's a lot of wiring in the ceiling. I'm sure there's wiring in this ceiling. The two places we run wires are under the floor and in the ceilings, and these wires were being run through the ceiling, and the electricians were operating up there.
Yes?
QHow can you --
MR. BACON: Just let me take this lady in back, and then I'll --
................... QKen?MR. BACON: Yeah.
QThere was a meeting yesterday at the White House on the topic of terrorism. Was the Pentagon represented in that meeting?
MR. BACON: Yes.
QBy whom and what was discussed?
MR. BACON: Well, I don't -- I think General Shelton may have been there and possibly Deputy Secretary Hamre, but I'll check on that.
QOkay. And the topic and what can you -- outcome?
MR. BACON: Well, the topic was terrorism and, you know, we're meeting regularly to examine information that's coming our way. I really have nothing to report to you about that.
QDo you have a meeting today?
MR. BACON: I don't know that. That's up to the White House to report if there's a White House meeting.
QKen, can you say if there is any kind of heightened alert on U.S. military facilities within the United States boundaries that might be coming as a result of the two Algerians that have been picked up coming across the borders?
MR. BACON: Well, I don't want to get into specifics.
I can tell you that the Defense Department has sent out two advisories to military installations and commanders around the world. These are advisories that highlight, one, the State Department's warning, and two, other information that has been collected. And they are designed to give commanders the latest information so that they can use it in making their own threat assessments and devising their own force-protection plans.
As you know, force protection is handled at the installation, the local level. Every commander is extremely aware of the need to be aggressive in pursuing force-protection measures. And these advisories just alerted them to the fact that they should review all of their force protection plans and take appropriate action.
QWhen was that, Ken?
MR. BACON: They were both last week.
QWas it after that incident in Washington state?
MR. BACON: No. I think they were both before, actually.
QAnd it doesn't require any action then? It -- (inaudible) -- informational?
MR. BACON: I think that every American, because of your good work, is knowledgeable about what happened in Washington state and on the Vermont border. So military commanders are very aware of what's happening, and they'll take appropriate action.
QHave some commanders actually increased force-protection measures somewhat?
MR. BACON: Well, as I said, it happens pretty much on a local basis. I am sure some have, but they don't report back to the Pentagon on what they have done. Obviously, commanders have been well educated that, if they need additional assets to meet a force- protection need, they should ask for those assets. I am not aware that requests have come in. But commanders do know that they shouldn't be shy about asking for additional force-protection support, if they think they need it.
Yes, Tammy?
QSince the additional information has been gleaned about the possibility of terrorism, have additional assets been put on standby for the millennium by DOD or any additional precautions other than what was already planned?
MR. BACON: Just let me say that we are taking appropriate action.
Yes, Chris?
QFor this building itself, what is the threat condition? I don't think it's been posted in a while. Is it still the same as it was since the embassy bombings, threatcon alpha or something?
MR. BACON: I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not aware that it's changed. But we'll check.
QAre you reluctant to say that you have put additional assets on some sort of alert status, because that would tip off the bad guys as opposed to reassuring the public? I'm not quite sure what the thought process is.
MR. BACON: The thought process is that we take appropriate actions, and I think it's probably wise to assure Americans that its military all around the world is alert to what's happening, is following the information, public information and intelligence information, very closely, and responding appropriately. I don't think it helps anybody to go into detail about what those responses are.
QKen?
MR. BACON: Yes.
QIs there any comments on the bloody violence in Sri Lanka? Is anybody from this building in touch with the government of Sri Lanka?
MR. BACON: I'm not aware that we are. That would be much more of a State Department issue than a defense issue.
QAnd also, if Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan. And over 200 people were arrested in Pakistan. Reports are confusing. According to Washington Times, they were connected with Osama bin Laden. Any comments on why people were under arrest in Pakistan?
MR. BACON: I'm not aware of those reports. I know that there have been some recent tensions in Pakistan, but I can't vouch for that number of 200 people.
............QThank you.
MR. BACON: You're welcome.
QWould you prefer this be the last briefing of 1999?
MR. BACON: I'm ready to serve the Pentagon press.
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