Inauguration security put in place

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Federal authorities have begun sealing off a multi-ringed security zone around the U.S. Capitol where President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in.

Agencies used lessons learned from terrorist attacks on London and Mumbai, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and annual celebrations on the Washington Mall to plot their security course, The New York Times said.

No credible threat has been raised for Tuesday's inaugural events. Law enforcement agencies, with forces in excess of 20,000 personnel, will oversee security on the ground, in the air and on waterways, planners said.

The security measures, the most extensive for the swearing-in of a president, are complicated by a crowd that could number between 2 million and 4 million, officials told the Times. Security planners also are factoring in that the event is the inauguration of the first African-American U.S. president.

"As an agency, we have to prepare at the highest level," said Malcolm D. Wiley Sr., spokesman for the Secret Service, which has the overall responsibility for inaugural security. "We understand this is a historic event, but it is also tied to the size of the crowd we expect and our security information."

Analysis of intelligence so far has not indicated evidence of an overseas or domestic threat, but assessments change daily, said Joseph Persichini Jr. of the FBI's Washington office.

"This is a global event," Persichini told the Times. "We continue to believe the threat is low, but no lead goes untouched."