news-record.com

ASHEVILLE (AP) — A veterans hospital in the mountains is building a massive anti-terrorism fence.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported today that the Charles George Veterans Affairs Hospital is building a $750,000 fence around the hospital's perimeter to prevent a suicide bomber from attacking the hospital. Officials say the hospital could be a target because military facilities are harder to hit.

"If you look at Sept. 11, you realize that it's about attacking civilians and going after targets like a pediatrics hospital," the VA's chief engineer, Robert Cornell, told the paper. "We need to harden some of these 'break-your-heart' targets."

Security of federal buildings became an issue after the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City and gained prominence after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Security improvements at the hospital started five years ago after a 2004 Department of Homeland Security report suggested that the hospital's "aged" six-foot perimeter fence should be replaced.

The new fence is part of the second phase of security upgrades. The first phase, completed in 2007, included barricades around liquid oxygen tanks and a new door-locking system. The upgrades cost more than $500,000.

Some Asheville residents think the security measures are excessive and doubt the hospital will be attacked by terrorists. They think the money could be spent elsewhere. But Cornell said if the hospital is attacked, security precautions will be the first question.