As OK nears for A-plant, a California siege looms

Antinuclear activists and law enforcement officers geared up Thursday for a long-planned confrontation, triggered by a federal decision Wednesday clearing the way for final operating permits for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant on the scenic California coast.

Law enforcement, National Guard, and antinuclear groups are setting up logistical support -- tent camps, field kitchens, showers -- to be ready for a long siege. The Abalone Alliance, a coalition of antinuclear groups, called on supporters throughout the nation to mass for a "blockade" intended to prevent the plant from going into operation -- which could be as soon as two weeks.