"National Guard ordered back to LAX"

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Calif. governor orders Guard to LAX
By Hil Anderson
United Press International


LOS ANGELES, (UPI) -- National Guard troops equipped with Humvees will begin
patrolling the outskirts of Los Angeles International Airport this week in a
move ordered by the state's governor to increase security at the nation's
third-busiest airport.

Calling LAX a "California landmark," Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday the
airport was both a vital component of the state's economy and a likely
target for terrorists, particularly with the war between the United States
and Iraq reaching a pinnacle.

"LAX is not just a California landmark; it's an international gateway
essential to the commerce that sustains us," Davis said in a conference
call. "California will continue to use every resource at our disposal to
keep our citizens safe and secure, including the National Guard. Keeping
Californians safe is job No. 1."

A platoon of Guard troops will begin their stint at LAX on Thursday. Unlike
the Guard's deployment to airports after Sept. 11, 2001, their primary duty
will be roving patrols around the perimeter of the airport in Humvees, and
manning security perimeter checkpoints; the Guard will not be inside the LAX
buildings, however, unlike following Sept. 11 when they maintained a
high-profile presence inside the terminals.

"This mission is designed to protect the integrity of the airport, not
activity within the terminals," Davis said. "Federal and city officials will
continue their roles in the passenger screening and terminal checkpoint
areas."

Mayor James Hahn formally asked Davis last weekend to post the Guard at the
airport. While there was no apparent immediate threat to the facility, LAX
is considered by state officials to be the most likely place in all of
California to be hit by terrorists.

The airport was the target of an actual terrorist operation scheduled to
occur during the millennium New Year's celebrations. The plot by an Algerian
militant Islamic group was foiled in late 1999 when Ahmed Ressam was
arrested at a border crossing in Washington driving a car with its trunk
loaded with explosive bomb-making materials.

Davis said the Guard would remain at LAX for as long as the national threat
condition was at orange.

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