By: Joe Strupp The White House Press Center was evacuated for about 90 minutes Monday afternoon after a bomb-sniffing dog reacted to a vehicle being used for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit, a Secret Service spokesman told E&P.
Spokesman Darrin Blackford said the press center, located temporarily in a conference center across the street from the White House, was evacuated at 2:50 p.m. Police were inspecting the vehicle, which was being driven by a member of the Israeli delegation who was staying at nearby Blair House, when the dog had an unusual reaction, according to AP.
A subsequent search by police and Secret Service officials found nothing problematic with the vehicle. Reporters were allowed to return to the center at 4:15 p.m., Blackford said. The White House Press Center is being housed in the building while the regular press room is being renovated, with plans for a reopening later this summer.
AP reported that the evacuation did not alter President Bush's schedule, adding that police blocked off streets, but pedestrians were allowed to keep walking near the White House.
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