Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said today that, contrary to claims made by his predecessor Tom Ridge, he never felt political pressure to raise the terror alert level.
“I can tell you unequivocally,” he told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, “I never got any political pressure of any type … No one raised the political issue in any way, shape or form.”
In a new book, Ridge claimed he was “strongly urged” to raise the terror alert right before the 2004 elections, and that he wondered, “‘Is this about security or politics?” Days after its release, Ridge appeared on several TV shows to counter his own claims, saying, “There was no pressure at all.”
In today’s interview, Chertoff also said he thought the two times the department raised the alert level on his watch — after the London attacks in 2005 and a 2006 airline plot, also based in London — were handled well.
“In both cases, I think it was easily understandable and explained to the public why we did it,” he said.
Of the color-coded terror alert system, which is undergoing review, Chertoff said, “I do think it’s worth keeping.”
But, he said, “What I have advocated is that we reduce the number of alert levels to about three, because I think five is probably confusing and a little unnecessary.”
