Threat advisory system works, Ridge says

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Tuesday defended the color-coded alert system for warning about potential terrorism but declined to comment on how confident he is in the intelligence community until after a federal commission releases its final report is Thursday.

"There have been significant, substantive and positive changes" in communications since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said during a press conference at the National Governors Association's annual meeting in Seattle.

The nation's mayors and governors are given information on potential threats as soon as it is made available to the Homeland Security Department, Ridge said, and "there's enough flexibility" with the system to address local concerns.

Ridge was on hand for an exercise with the governors that focused on how to respond to a bioterrorism event.