Obama’s inauguration threatened by ‘lone wolf’

WASHINGTON

A ‘lone wolf’ scenario is a major concern for President Obama’s inauguration in January. A lone wolf person is isolated who could be in the crowd without having been identified earlier as a risk. ABACAPRESS photo

US security and secret services are working hard on President Barack Obama’s inauguration with two months to go, as authorities express their concern over the “lone wolf” scenario.

When thousands of Americans pack the National Mall for Obama’s Jan. 21 inauguration, sophisticated security will be in place, but it can’t protect against an unknown threat. For the 57th presidential inauguration, the Secret Service, which is in charge of protecting top officials, has been working with the FBI, military and Homeland Security.

‘Seamless’ plan

“Our goal is to implement a seamless security plan,” Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said. Two months ahead of this massive challenge, U.S. authorities acknowledge their concern with the “lone wolf” scenario, an isolated person who could be in the crowd without having been identified earlier as a risk. “The bigger threat, the thing that keeps you awake at night, are the lone offenders, regardless of their affiliation,” Michael Clancy, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division said. “Those are the ones that scare me the most, folks that we don’t have on our radar. It’s the Timothy McVeighs of the world,” Clancy said, referring to the American whose attack on an Oklahoma City federal building killed 168.

Just as in 2009, the command center for inaugural security will be set up at FBI headquarters in Washington. Agents will monitor a collage of flat screens and surveillance, while staying in contact with teams on the ground. Washington will have sharpshooters on roofs along the route, while weapons of mass destruction-detection units will fan out across capital.