The Department of Homeland Security is getting ready to declare August 2008 through July 2009 a "Period of Heightened Alert" — that is, a timeframe in which terrorists would have a greater incentive to attack. Concerns about high profile events like the Olympics, the Democratic and Republican national conventions, and the transition out of the Bush Administration have prompted the change, which requires Homeland Security to redouble its efforts to study terrorism leads, according to ABC News [1].

US officials are keeping the color level at yellow instead of orange, because they don't want to be accused of interfering with the presidential campaign, a concession which suggests awareness that raising fears of terrorism can serve political ends.

Some critics joke that the heightened alert is in response to Republican efforts to maintain hold on presidency [2]. (Remember when John McCain's adviser said an attack would help [3] his candidate?) What do you think? Couldn't antiterrorism workers do their jobs of protecting potential target events without blanketing the whole country with a scary term like "Heightened Alert" for an entire year; or is this just the way to keep the whole country watchful?

Source [4]