Tom Yum

Nov 27, 2006 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Part of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington has been evacuated and closed to tourists after suspicious items were found, a park police officer said on Monday.

"We're following standard procedures," said Lt. Scott Fear, spokesman for the U.S. Park Police. He said the area would likely only be closed for a short time to investigate the suspicious material.

A Homeland Security official said a vial of what appeared to be a liquid substance was found in a restroom at the memorial. A note was also found with a message that read "Do you know what anthrax is?" and "Do you know what a bomb is?"

Teams of specialists in hazardous materials had also arrived at the memorial to investigate, the official said.

Traffic was still moving around the memorial, construction workers continued to work and joggers could be seen running in the area near the memorial.

The memorial, which was dedicated in 1922, features a 19-foot tall marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln seated in a thoughtful pose.

The memorial is located at the west end of a grassy area known as The Mall that also is home to Washington Monument, the Vietnam War Memorial and the World War Two Memorial. Security at the monuments has been tightened since the September 11 attacks. Security cameras are used to monitor the area.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2682002

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