Counterterrorism security efforts on Capitol Hill have been taken up a notch
with Senate leaders along with the Capitol Police agreeing that closing First Street between the Russell and Dirksen Senate office buildings “indefinitely” is a smart move, Roll Call and the Post report. City leaders are livid, with the mayor’s spokesman saying: “This is not Beirut.” Mayor Anthony Williams told the Post the “nervous nellies in Congress” are overreacting.
The Post says the Williams has been a one-man “tourism” bureau, making a round of live shots on national TV and eating with the media at Kinkead’s, located up the street from the International Monetary Fund, as a sign vigilence.
Along with street closures, there will be 14 new checkpoints on approaches to
the Hill on Constitution, Independence, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Louisiana avenues, and a number of lettered and numbered streets surrounding the Capitol campus. To avoid the crosstown mess, DCist suggests taking Massachusetts Avenue.
Perhaps in a massive overreaction, Fox 5 reminded its viewers last night about how to evacuate the city so there isn’t massive gridlock. How sobering.
Meanwhile, DCSOB has raised the terror alert from “Black Eyed Susan” to “Screwdriver”:
[T]he terror alert level has been raised from Black-Eyed Susan to Screwdriver, following the interception of threats to the IMF and World Bank buildings in Foggy Bottom.
We at DCSOB do not expect DHS to lower threat levels to a more girlie level of Blue Lagoon or Appletini until after the election, so drink up.
