Bush's day

WASHINGTON — Same man. Same venue. Same oath. Same divided country. Different world.

At noon today Eastern time, as he did four years ago at noon, George W. Bush will repeat the 40-word oath that makes him president of the United States.

But the world is vastly changed from four years ago, and security for the 55th presidential inauguration will be unprecedented.

Concrete barriers and tall metal fences encircle buildings, tents are ready to screen a crowd that could reach half a million, and major streets began shutting down Wednesday on the inauguration's eve.

With a light snow blanketing the frigid city, signs of high security were apparent at the inaugural site outside the Capitol and down the parade route to the White House.

In the nation's capital, preparing for the first inaugural since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is serious business.

"We don't want to leave anything to chance," said Ralph Basham, chief of the Secret Service, the lead agency for protecting the noon swearing-in ceremony, the afternoon parade and the dinners and inaugural balls that will follow.

The massive effort includes more than 6,000 federal and local law enforcement officials. Workers have already checked sewers under the streets and welded manhole covers closed. Bomb-sniffing dogs from around the country have been brought to the capital to check hotels, garages and the sites for the evening celebrations.

The Federal Aviation Administration shut down the skies in the capital region to all flights except scheduled commercial airliners, and security for those flights has been beefed up with additional armed air marshals.

Today, border protection agents flying Black Hawk helicopters will be patrolling the air space while Coast Guard vessels ply the Potomac River. And less visible will be a variety of anti-aircraft weaponry, including missile batteries and hand-held Stinger missiles, as well as F-16 and F-15 fighter jets.

Those attending the events have been urged to leave their cars at home since most of the streets from the White House to the Capitol will be closed to traffic. Each person must pass through one of 22 sites set up with metal detectors before joining the audience for the swearing in or the parade, and a long list of banned items includes umbrellas, signs with sticks, glass thermoses and backpacks.