Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge yesterday unveiled a new system to alert government, law enforcement and the public to the risk of terrorist attacks, even as he acknowledged that it could be many years before the country is secure enough to enjoy the lowest warning level. The five-level, color-coded system was crafted to reduce the confusion caused by a series of vaguely worded alerts issued by the federal government since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Many officials said the alerts did little more than alarm the public. Full Story