Security Tightened for U.S. Troops Worldwide, Ships Leave Mediterranean Ports

By Melissa Eddy Associated Press Writer Published: Sep 13, 2001

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) - Flak-jacketed military police searched cars, soldiers sandbagged machine-gun posts and warships slipped out of port as U.S. troops stood on high alert Thursday, tightening security and awaiting orders after the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Security for American military personnel and their families was tightened after President Bush put all U.S. forces on "Threat Condition Delta," the highest state of readiness, following the devastating assaults in New York and Washington on Tuesday.

"Delta is usually the result of a direct attack, which we certainly had," U.S. Navy Capt. Brian P. Cullin, the chief spokesman for U.S. European Command, said in an interview Wednesday. "The main idea is that you circle the wagons."

European Command, based in Stuttgart, covers operations in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East. It is responsible for troops now engaged in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and forces based in Turkey policing the skies over part of Iraq.

Cullin declined to comment on extra security for those troops but said the missions were unaffected so far. While there were no immediate plans to redeploy troops, some special forces in Europe involved in training operations "could be called upon," he said, without giving details.

"Operationally, nothing has changed," he said.

But at every entrance to American bases in Europe, military police in flak jackets and helmets have replaced civilian security staff, searching the interior, trunk, engine and undercarriage of each incoming vehicle for bombs or weapons.

German police have placed armored vehicles outside every U.S. base, Cullin said, and Italy's elite Carabinieri were providing extra security.

Schools and recreational centers on bases in Germany and Italy have been closed until further notice, Cullin said. A midnight to 5:30 a.m. curfew was imposed on Army soldiers, and the troops and their families encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, the most important U.S. military outpost in the Pacific, the stepped-up security was unmistakable, though some bases were already downgrading from Delta. Guards set up a machine gun post with sand bags at a U.S. Marine base on Okinawa.

In South Korea, helmeted national police with rifles - instead of the usual truncheons - were posted near major U.S. military bases. At the main U.S. base in Seoul, soldiers were seen with M-16 rifles on their shoulders, rather than their usual sidearms.

"These are strictly forces protection measures. It's a high level of awareness about our security," said Stephen Oertwig, a spokesman for the U.S. Forces in South Korea. He said there was no specific threat against the troops.

Shortly after the alert orders were issued, two dozen U.S. Navy warships left Mediterranean ports. Cullin declined to comment on their current location.

At bases on the European mainland, chaplains and social workers offered military personnel counseling for stress. Tensions are high because the bases are potential terrorist targets and a resource pool should the U.S. decide to retaliate with military force.

In remarks suggesting U.S. military retaliation, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told U.S. troops Wednesday that "in the days ahead" they will be added to the long history of American military heroes.

"We face powerful and terrible enemies, enemies we intend to vanquish," Rumsfeld said in a videotaped message to all Defense Department employees worldwide.

"The task of vanquishing these terrible enemies - and protecting the American people and the cause of human freedom - will fall to you," he said.

There are 116,000 U.S. troops in Europe. In Asia, there are roughly 51,500 American troops in Japan, and some 37,000 in South Korea. Though much smaller, there also are U.S. facilities on the Pacific island of Guam and on Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean.

Cullin said commanders are still assessing the possible threat in Africa, where U.S. troops are stationed mainly in Morocco, Gabon and Nigeria.

"It is unclear at this point how long we will remain in Delta," Cullin said. "Usually it's very short, but this time it may be longer than usual."

AP-ES-09-13-01 0634EDT

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001