← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Walter Yannis
Thread ID: 18200 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2005-05-11
2005-05-11 16:21 | User Profile
[URL=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/capital]Capitol Building, White House Evacuated[/URL]
The U.S. Capitol and White House were evacuated Wednesday. War planes were seen flying overhead and security cars rushed away from the buildings.
A senior law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alarm was caused by an aircraft incursion over the protected airspace over Washington but there was no indication a terrorist attack was under way.
Sarah Little, an aide to Sen. Pat Roberts (news, bio, voting record), R-Kan. said the order to evacuate came over the special pager devices that every congressional office has.
"They said to head South because there is an imminent aircraft threat," Little said.
Reporters in the White House were told to move to a more secure location.
President Bush was not at the White House at the time.
A guard in the West Wing of the White House shouted at reporters, "Go down into the basement."
"Leave, run," security officers shouted to staff and reporters at the Capitol.
"This is not a drill," guards shouted as they moved people away from the building.
Shortly after noon, officers rushed through the Supreme Court building and told staff to get into the basement. At the Treasury Department, people were moved across the street.