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Sept. 11,2001 PHOTO BY TODD PLITT/KRT CAMPUS The second tower of the World Trade Center explodes and collapses after being hit by a hijacked plane. Sept. 14,20 ll. PHOTO BY HARRY HAMBURG/KRT CAMPUS President George W. Bush tours the site of the collapsed World Trade Center towers. Sept. 24,2001 PHOTO BY JOHN ROCA/KRT CAMPUS Rescue workers sift through the remains of the World Trade Center two weeks after the terrorist attacks. -—-'ll Threats of attack elevate fears White House cites no specific threats, but says nation is at risk BY JOHN SOLOMON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Bush administration raised the nation’s terror alert warning to its second highest lev el Tuesday — code orange — sig naling a “high risk” of attack ahead of the Sept. 11 anniversary. The government increased secu rity at federal buildings and mon uments and closed some U.S. em bassies abroad. “We take every threat serious ly. The threats that we have heard recently remind us of the pattern of threats that we heard prior to September 11,” President Bush said. He said there was no specific threat to the U.S. mainland. But, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited intelligence from a senior al-Qaida operative “of possible at tacks on U.S. interests overseas.” He said there was information about possible car bombings and other attacks on U.S. facilities in south Asian countries and the threat of a suicide attack against U.S. interests in the Middle East. Ashcroft and Homeland Security Adviser Tom Ridge an nounced the new alert level. The State Department an nounced that the government was temporarily closing for pub lic business about two dozen U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide. Officials cited specific threats against U.S. embassies in south east Asia, including embassies in Indonesia and Malaysia. Even before Ashcroft and Ridge made their announcement, Vice President Dick Cheney left the White House for a secure, undisclosed location, canceling a Tuesday night speech and send ing the disappointed audience a videotaped address instead. Cheney’s schedule for Wednesday was up in the air, as well. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Cheney had also spent Monday night at a secret, safe spot as a precaution. Bush’s own public schedule for Sept. 11, including a major speech at the Pentagon and a visit to New York’s Ground Zero, remained unchanged, Fleischer said. Ashcroft said the government was not urging Americans to change travel plans or cancel events. Similarly, he said there was no call for government work ers to stay home. Ashcroft said the United States had gathered intelligence sug gesting that such attacks are in tended to coincide with the Sept. 11 anniversary of the terrorist at tacks. “Symbols of American power and authority,” such as embassies, military facilities and national monuments are possible targets, Ashcroft said. He said terrorists might “lash out in even small strikes,” in cluding car bombings and other suicide attacks. He asserted that some cells al-Qaida cells in south Asia had been accumulating ex plosives since last January. Security was also being in creased at military bases world wide. The orange level, which re flects a “high risk of terrorist at tacks,” is one step below the top “red,” or “severe risk.” The level had been at “yellow,” in the mid dle of the five-color scale. Code orange calls for govern ment officials to take extra pre caution at public events, includ ing moving or canceling them if necessary; and to coordinate their efforts with the military and law enforcement. Access to vari ous government installations is restricted to only “essential per sonnel.” Ashcroft said Americans should remain “alert but defiant in the face of this new threat.” Ridge, speaking of the threat at home, said “specific protective measures” would be taken by fed eral agencies as a result of the heightened alert status. He men tioned more barriers around fed ♦ WARNING, SEE PAGE 5 NOKIA 5165 DIGITAL PHONE iNotesSM 2-way Text Messaging for 3 months University of South Carolina Face Plate _ACTIVATION f| NOKIA 5165 SwiCom Mine*' ftwciy s ' CALL ALL YOU WANT, ANYTIME, TO ANYWHERE IN AMERICA. DON'T PAY FOR ANOTHER PHONE CALL AGAIN’. SUBSCRIBE FOR 549.95 A MONTH. t WE DON’T WANT TO CHANGE PEOPLE. WE WANTTO CHANGE WIRELESS. g"* . weGetit. 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SunCom service available for specified ZIP codes only. Other restrictions apply. See stores for details. ©SunCom *oo?. ‘ \ t|' Terror attacks hit insurance hard Rates are up as industry mulls how to handle changes of 9/11 BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE GAMECOCK As we come upon the one-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, many affect ed industries, including insur ance, are still recovering. Since the attacks, insurance rates have skyrocketed to nation wide. L. Stuart Ditzen and Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in June that “high-rise buildings, large bridges, sports stadiums and oth er prominent structures” have seen “premium increases as much as 400 percent.” This is not unique to Philadelphia. The cost of insur ing large and prominent struc tures has risen across the nation as insurance companies struggle to cope with extensive losses and a changing industry, which now questions how to factor terrorism into its costs. It:s a question that is hard to answer. “That’s part of the discussion in Congress right now — what they are going to do to help cover all these properties?” says Allison Dean Wright, executive director of Insurance News Service. “Most insurance companies have estab lished positions [on coverage of terrorism]. They want to exclude terrorism coverage outright or substantially limit their exposure to it. There are many ways com panies are handling it.” While terrorism coverage is important to the industry, it is not the most pertinent problem at hand. “Probably the biggest impact September 11 has made on the in surance industry has been the in crease in reinsurance,” Wright said. “Reinsurance is insuranc | that insurance companies have to buy to back them up in the event of a major disaster, such as a hur ricane.” In a news release, Insurance Information Institute President Gordon Stewart says, “9/11 is not only the biggest insured catastro phe ever, it is the most complex — this recovery process will take years.” It will also be costly to insur ers. The Insurance Information Institute reports that the estimate for the total insurance loss from Sept. 11 totals about $40.2 billion, which covers a broad spectrum, including business interruption costs, property losses, life insur ance and workers’ compensation. While insurance costs soar* across the nation, state official-'® report that South Carolina is not seeing as many of the effects. Mike Sponhour, spokesman for the South Carolina Budget and Control Board, said he noticed no significant difference in the rates of the public buildings it insures. Shealy McCoy, director of risk management and environmental health and safety at USC, agrees “We did not receive any sub ♦ INSURANCE, SEE PAGE 4 For Special Savings, see our AO in the Coupon Section of your USC Directory! [ FAST DRIVE THRU SERVICE • CATEWMO • MAIL ORDER • OIFT SHOPS \ www.maurfcvsbbq.com (803) 791-5887 mvHQmaur1cvvbbq.com I I* H |S( / 9 mnnurHViUiuin iv vnvwas rnvm - Acme - Jezebel, Scream Pitbull, Ttilbaul, Y to Z International. Body Cold Sth Avenue Sllvermoon * Special orders Available Restrictions Apply