Attacks prompt hard look at Capitol security

Was the Capitol a missed target for the September 11 terrorists?

By Kate Snow
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- September 11 has changed the world in many ways. At the U.S. Capitol, the changes are starkly apparent, and some may be permanent.

After a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon, many officials thought the Capitol might be next, so it was evacuated. That prompted lawmakers to complain that authorities did not have an organized plan to deal with emergencies.

"We got 30,000 people that work here and there's no communication on something as essential and as important as that," said Rep. David Bonior, a Democrat from Michigan.

Those criticisms were a wake-up call for law enforcement, said Capitol Police Lt. Dan Nichols.

"Now we're going to have to re-evaluate and find what our new standard of normal security is," he said. "And that is what we're in the process of doing,"

CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

Some changes are obvious. Vehicles manned by police block entrances. Bomb-sniffing dogs are on hand. Officers use mirrors to look under cars.

Streets that used to be open to traffic are shut down, and plans for a new Capitol Visitor Center have taken on a sense of urgency. It is designed with security in mind, moving metal detectors underground and farther away from the Capitol itself, but still in position to guard the building effectively.

New blueprints

"They'll be able to come across the plaza, go down these steps, and then be screened remotely," said Alan Hantman, architect of the Capitol.

Hartman's office hired teams of surveyors three days after the terror attacks. For five days, they were up on the roof looking down, then down on the ground looking up. Using a state-of-the-art laser camera, they have mapped the outside of the Capitol, precise to within three-sixteenths of an inch.

"The blueprints that they have are so old that they're not accurate," said contractor Charles Over. "They've added on to the building over the years. So we're giving them actual blueprints of the building and then they can use it for the new visitors center they're putting in."

There are more decisions ahead, like whether to close the larger avenues around the Capitol, and whether to make temporary road closings permanent. It is likely the windows of the Capitol will be reinforced with shatter-proof Mylar coating, sources say.

Every decision is being carefully weighed. On one hand, authorities want to be sure lawmakers and the people who work there are safe. On the other, no one wants to scare away visitors to one of the nation's most recognizable landmarks.