Outrage as security is tightened in Washington

White House intruder spurs new look at how to protect senior officials

The possibility that more of the US capital city could be closed off after a lone intruder got into the White House has set off a debate in Washington, where public spaces have been eroded over time by barricades and bollards.

Discussions of security measures at the president's residence, a visible symbol of democracy for many and a prime draw for tourists and protesters alike, raises questions involving the balance of safety and openness, and whether a capital city can ever be entirely safe, analysts said.

The heart of Washington known as the National Mall, with its monuments, museums and government offices, should remain accessible, according to Judy Scott Feldman, president of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall. She said more closures would only damage Washington.

"We are the capital of a nation dedicated to freedom and openness," she said. "Fear can't be our dominant planning principle."

Law enforcement officials erected a second fence around parts of the White House in the week after a 42-year-old Iraq War veteran climbed the 2.1-meter-tall wrought-iron fence, sprinted across the lawn with a knife in his pocket and entered the executive mansion through an open door.

They are considering further measures including closing more sidewalks to pedestrians, setting up additional barriers and possibly searching the bags of people approaching the building, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

"So you're going to further isolate the White House. Why don't we just move the White House out to West Virginia or something?" said Steven Bucci, a national security expert at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Increased security measures have closed large areas of the capital in the last 20 years, especially after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania that killed almost 3,000 people.

Measures have included traffic closures on Pennsylvania Avenue and a second street around the White House, and shutting off the West Terrace of the Capitol building, which offers a sweeping view of the National Mall's museums and monuments.

The Supreme Court's front doors are sealed. The former head of the Capitol Police, which oversees security at the white-domed landmark, has advocated making a dozen blocks around it a no-drive zone to block potential car bombs.

New review

Safeguarding the president and his family, other top officials and visiting foreign leaders is the responsibility of the US Secret Service, which has been battered by drinking and prostitution scandals in recent years.

The agency began a new review of White House security after veteran Omar Gonzalez made it into the building on Sept 19, at a time when President Barack Obama and his family were not present.

Gonzalez, who faces an unlawful entry charge, told an agent he needed to get information to the president about the atmosphere collapsing, according to court documents. A House of Representatives oversight committee has scheduled a hearing on the breach for Tuesday.

The Secret Service declined to say if it had settled on permanent measures to raise White House security.

"The US Secret Service is not aware of any definitive plans to add increased permanent security measures around the White House," spokesman Brian Leary said in an e-mail.

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray said the security of the president and the White House was paramount but noted that people need to feel comfortable in the city, especially tourists who are vital to the local economy.

(China Daily 09/29/2014 page10)