AIR FORCE NEEDS CITIZENS' HELP ONLOOKERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPOT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - The Air Force says citizens can help thwart terrorist attacks. An effort called Eagle Eye encourages military base workers, family and community residents to watch for suspicious activity that could be preparation for an attack on a base or government building. ``We call it global neighborhood watch Global Neighborhood Watch is an article by Neal Stephenson that appeared in Wired Magazine in 1998. In it he proposes a specific plan for using information technology to fight crime. According to Stephenson, he is no longer pursuing the idea. - everybody needs to pay attention and report what they see,'' Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) is a Field Operating Agency (FOA) of the United States Air Force that provides professional investigative services to commanders throughout the Air Force. special agent Desiree Contreras said. ``Law enforcement can't be everywhere.'' Contreras and California National Guard The California National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of California. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. 2nd Lt. Rudyard Magallanes spoke Tuesday about Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, anti-terrorism efforts to Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley civic leaders at a luncheon of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade. Eagle Eye was devised in the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Contreras said, on the reasoning that people planning attacks are bound to perform observable activities. Edwards is probably less likely to be targeted by terrorists than a base in a heavily populated area, she said, but as a government installation it remains at risk. Suspicious activity could be a person watching the Edwards gates, someone videotaping or taking notes in the same place day after day, or someone who strikes up a conversation and asks questions about the base. Showing the luncheon crowd photos of Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden: see bin Laden, Osama. and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and a sketch of the Unabomber, she said: ``You guys are the ones who are out there. You know what is out of the ordinary. ... You know what does not belong.'' Terrorists planning an attack are likely to test security, she said. For example, they might drive past gate guards and pretend they didn't know they needed to stop - in order to gauge guards' reaction. ``Even if you aren't sure, call and report it anyway,'' Contreras said. ``It's better to be safe than sorry.'' People who see suspicious activity can call the Edwards' security forces at (661) 277-3340 or the Office of Special Investigations at (661) 277-2208. Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com |
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