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U.S. Raises Terror Alert, Threat Could Rival 9/11
22 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday raised its terror alert status to the second highest level, warning of a high risk that extremists could try to strike near term on a scale that could "rival or exceed" Sept. 11, 2001.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, announcing the change, said reports indicated extremists were still interested in using aircraft for attacks.
He cited "substantial increase in the volume of threat related intelligence reports" and "credible sources" suggesting the possibility of attacks within the United States around the "holiday season and beyond."
"The strategic indicators, including al Qaeda's continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001," Ridge told a news conference.
"The information we have indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will either rival or exceed the attacks that occurred in New York and the Pentagon (news - web sites) and the fields of Pennsylvania nearly two years ago," he added.
He warned that airplanes could be used as they were during the Sept. 11 plot. "We continue to hear ... the interest in using aircraft as a means of attack," Ridge said.
Ridge did not go into detail on the extra protective measures that would be entailed in raising the alert level, but said, "There is additional risk and we are going to do additional things to combat the risk."
He ordered the color-coded alert system raised to orange -- denoting "a high risk" of terrorist attacks -- from yellow, which the Department of Homeland Security defines as "a significant" or "elevated" risk of terrorist attacks.
An orange alert is one notch below the highest threat level -- red -- denoting a "severe" risk of terrorist attacks. Experts have said a red alert would be declared only if an attack on U.S. soil were imminent or underway.
The alert was last raised to orange from yellow in May, after suicide bombings killed dozens in Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
REASSURE ANXIOUS AMERICANS
Despite the warnings, Ridge sought to reassure anxious Americans preparing for the holidays. "If you've got travel plans, travel," he said.
The move follows a White House decision to order U.S. security personnel to be extra vigilant for terror attacks during the Christmas period.
On Friday, al Jazeera television broadcast a purported audio tape by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, vowing to defeat the "infidel" United States. The speaker said al Qaeda would target Americans everywhere, including the United States.
An audiotape purportedly by bin Laden -- broadcast on Saturday -- accused Arab governments heeding U.S. calls for democracy of being "infidel" agents of America, but the CIA (news - web sites) cast doubt on the tape saying it appeared to be old.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday dismissed an ABC television report that there was credible information pointing to a possible strike against New York, a target of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
The Department of Homeland Security created its color-coded terror alert warning system in March 2002 to help Americans prepare better for future attacks.
The alert level has generally remained at "yellow" -- the middle of the five-color scale -- but has been raised to "orange" -- signaling a "high" risk of attack -- on four other occasions. (Additional reporting by Donna Smith and Vicki Allen)
22 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday raised its terror alert status to the second highest level, warning of a high risk that extremists could try to strike near term on a scale that could "rival or exceed" Sept. 11, 2001.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, announcing the change, said reports indicated extremists were still interested in using aircraft for attacks.
He cited "substantial increase in the volume of threat related intelligence reports" and "credible sources" suggesting the possibility of attacks within the United States around the "holiday season and beyond."
"The strategic indicators, including al Qaeda's continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001," Ridge told a news conference.
"The information we have indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will either rival or exceed the attacks that occurred in New York and the Pentagon (news - web sites) and the fields of Pennsylvania nearly two years ago," he added.
He warned that airplanes could be used as they were during the Sept. 11 plot. "We continue to hear ... the interest in using aircraft as a means of attack," Ridge said.
Ridge did not go into detail on the extra protective measures that would be entailed in raising the alert level, but said, "There is additional risk and we are going to do additional things to combat the risk."
He ordered the color-coded alert system raised to orange -- denoting "a high risk" of terrorist attacks -- from yellow, which the Department of Homeland Security defines as "a significant" or "elevated" risk of terrorist attacks.
An orange alert is one notch below the highest threat level -- red -- denoting a "severe" risk of terrorist attacks. Experts have said a red alert would be declared only if an attack on U.S. soil were imminent or underway.
The alert was last raised to orange from yellow in May, after suicide bombings killed dozens in Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
REASSURE ANXIOUS AMERICANS
Despite the warnings, Ridge sought to reassure anxious Americans preparing for the holidays. "If you've got travel plans, travel," he said.
The move follows a White House decision to order U.S. security personnel to be extra vigilant for terror attacks during the Christmas period.
On Friday, al Jazeera television broadcast a purported audio tape by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, vowing to defeat the "infidel" United States. The speaker said al Qaeda would target Americans everywhere, including the United States.
An audiotape purportedly by bin Laden -- broadcast on Saturday -- accused Arab governments heeding U.S. calls for democracy of being "infidel" agents of America, but the CIA (news - web sites) cast doubt on the tape saying it appeared to be old.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday dismissed an ABC television report that there was credible information pointing to a possible strike against New York, a target of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
The Department of Homeland Security created its color-coded terror alert warning system in March 2002 to help Americans prepare better for future attacks.
The alert level has generally remained at "yellow" -- the middle of the five-color scale -- but has been raised to "orange" -- signaling a "high" risk of attack -- on four other occasions. (Additional reporting by Donna Smith and Vicki Allen)
