Amid heavy security presence, officials say all quiet for inaugural festivities

By: CURT ANDERSON - Associated Press | Thursday, January 20, 2005 10:25 PM PST ∞

WASHINGTON -- Thousands of police provided unprecedented security for President Bush's inauguration, trying to leave nothing to chance for the first swearing-in ceremony since the 2001 terror attacks.

Federal officials long have said the inauguration provided an inviting target for terrorists, but no intelligence emerged in the days leading up to it indicating an attack was planned.

"Everything is going in accordance with the plan," said Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry.

Security measures included rooftop snipers and observers, helicopter and jet patrols, anti-aircraft missile batteries, boat patrols on the Potomac River, bomb-sniffing dogs and careful screening of people arriving to watch the ceremony and parade.

Senior officials representing two dozen agencies ranging from the FBI to the District of Columbia mayor's office monitored video cameras, and employed aerial surveillance flights and sophisticated sensors that can detect the presence of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

On Pennsylvania Avenue, the route of Bush's inaugural parade, police and military personnel stood shoulder-to-shoulder to form a human barrier between spectators and the parade participants. Spectators also were held back by a grid of metal barriers.

The tight security produced long lines of people trying to get into the Capitol complex for the inauguration, with some reporting waits of between 20 and 45 minutes. Several streets were closed around the Capitol, forcing inaugural guests, onlookers, Capitol staffers and workers to try to squeeze through the same security gates.

Aside from the ceremonial events, vehicle and pedestrian traffic was minimal in the heart of the city, with most government offices closed for the day.

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