The War on Terrorism: We All Have a Part To Play

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What does "vigilance" mean? In general, you should be "watchful" and "on-guard" for anything suspicious. Don't be fooled into complacency. Don't be paranoid. Exercise "healthy awareness." Using your natural born common sense and powers of observation, you should: * Take notice of odd occurrences or the strange movement of people. * Take notice of unguarded packages. * Take notice of abandoned cars or trucks. * Watch people around crowded and high-risk areas. Are they: o Making strange movements. o "Casing," "sketching," or "video taping" the area. o Communicating on cell phones in a location that would be considered unusual or using walkie-talkies. o Notice people who look agitated, nervous, or won't look at you. * Take notice of events and people around you if you work or are near: o Truck and van rentals/leasing o Border areas o High-profile public events o Chemical factories o Nuclear power plants or storage areas o Airports, bus and train stations o Water treatment plants and reservoirs o Refineries o Crop dusters or plane rental companies o Government facilities or functions o Lifelines: Gas, water, electric, sewer lines o Transportation systems, tunnels, bridges, dams o Major events with large numbers of people o Internet or data transmission sites o Agricultural storage areas Exercising healthy awareness applies to other situations as well. Al-Qaeda training camps have been discovered in rural Alabama and Oregon. There are "safe-houses" where the terrorists live in various cities and towns. These can only exist if we do not pay attention to what's happening around us or turn our backs on suspicious activities. Ask your local police department if they have community antiterrorism training like CAT Eyes. If you observe people or notice something that's not right or see something that's out of place or doesn't belong there, do not attempt to be a hero. Be overly cautious and report it immediately to the police or FBI. If you are traveling and have a cell phone, dial 9-1-1. The operator can connect you to the local police department or other authorities. For the FBI field offices near you, visit the FBI Webpage. Don't close your eyes and ears to things going on around you. On December 22, 2001, thousands of feet above the Atlantic Ocean, passengers on American Airlines Flight 63 saw a commotion and heard cries for help from the flight attendants. They rushed to stop Islamic terrorist Richard Reid from blowing up the airplane. As a result, all 197 people on board made it home safely. Despite the protestations of civil libertarians, we all need to become helpful and additional eyes and ears of the authorities -- on the lookout for possible terrorist activity. To ignore this obligation or to rely solely on the government is completely and utterly impractical. So, exercise healthy awareness, think quickly and be alert, just as the passengers of Flight 63 did. Like most people, I'm sure that you believe that your own vigilance will be meaningless in the broad scope of the war on terrorism. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Imagine the results if we all exercised healthy awareness. We all have a part to play in this conflict. It's up to all of us!