California Security Official: Another Terrorist Attack Likely

The United States will be lucky if it remains unscathed from another terrorist attack this summer, California's special adviser on state security said Monday.

"Current intelligence leads me to believe if we get through the summer without some sort of attack, we'll be pretty fortunate," said George Vinson.

Vinson's ominous warning came during a keynote that opened the 12th annual NetSec Conference held here. The three-day event, sponsored by the Computer Security Institute, features sessions on various network security issues.

California Gov. Gray Davis appointed Vinson, a former FBI agent, as special adviser on state security last November, in the wake of the terrorist attacks. He said his mission is to coordinate and implement the state's counterterrorism strategy.

Despite U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, Islamic extremists will be able to regroup with new leadership against the United States, Vinson said.

"They're not going to roll over and give up," he said. "Once they get centered, they're going to come back again."

Vinson said state and federal officials have been busy in the months since the attacks to protect the country against terrorist attacks, but he did not provide many specifics.

"It's an awesome undertaking what's going on in the country," he said. "There's a lot going on behind the scenes that will protect this country."

Vinson said there is a strong effort to increase information sharing among governmental agencies, to equip local police and fire departments with resources and training to respond to a terrorist attack, and to boost border management.