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WASHINGTON, May 20 — U.S. intelligence operatives have intercepted communications indicating an imminent al-Qaida threat inside the United States and against U.S. interests abroad, senior U.S. officials told NBC News on Tuesday, and the White House said the nation’s terror threat level would be raised to orange, or “high,” later Tuesday.
OFFICIALS SAID the FBI issued an alert last week to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network, which was blamed for two recent deadly suicide bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, could mount new attacks in the United States.
Senior officials told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell that some intelligence analysts believed the attack May 12 in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, was intended to distract U.S. authorities from paying attention to imminent threats inside the United States. The Saudi bombings killed 25 people, including eight Americans, as well as none of the bombers.
The officials said al-Qaida operatives left Saudi Arabia before the Riyadh attacks and were at large, which they described as a typical al-Qaida method of operation. They said a particularly active cell had been uncovered in Kenya.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, voiced those fears Monday, telling reporters during a trip to the kingdom that “there is chatter, a high level of chatter.”
“My gut feeling tells me something big is going to happen here or in America,” he said.
In a related development, the United States, Britain and Germany decided Tuesday to shut their embassies and some consular offices in Saudi Arabia for a few days, citing “credible information” that further terrorist strikes were being planned.
TERROR THREAT AT YELLOW
A senior U.S. official told NBC News that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and other national security officials outlined the new information Tuesday for Bush, who then decided to follow their recommendation to raise the U.S. terrorism alert level to orange, only one step below the highest level, red. It has remained at yellow, or “elevated,” since April 16.
Asked about the threat level at his daily briefing for reporters, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer acknowledged that “we have concerns about whether or not there are threats that go beyond Saudi Arabia, and discussions are under way.”
“These matters are being looked at as we speak,” Fleischer said. “We do have concerns about terrorists’ doing what they can to continue to inflict harm.”
The FBI, in its alert last week, told law enforcement agencies that the truck bombings in Saudi Arabia “indicate that the al-Qaida network remains active and highly capable.”
“The U.S. intelligence community assesses that attacks against U.S. and Western targets overseas are likely; attacks in the United States cannot be ruled out,” said the bulletin, which federal law enforcement officials discussed on condition of anonymity.
The bulletin said the Saudi attacks featured “traditional hallmarks of al-Qaida operations,” such as precise planning, surveillance and coordination among several teams. Each bombing involved a sedan followed by a truck or a sport utility vehicle laden with explosives, with gunmen used to attack guards and overcome security measures.
FACT SHEET
Terror alert levels
The Office of Homeland Security outlined five levels of terrorism alerts.
Click a tab to learn about these levels as well as recommended government and private-sector responses.
GREEN: Low risk of terrorist attacks.
Refine and exercise planned protective measures.
Ensure emergency personnel receive training.
Assess facilities for vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce them.
BLUE: Guarded condition. General risk of terrorist attack.
Check communications with designated emergency response or command locations.
Review and update emergency response procedures.
Provide the public with necessary information.
YELLOW: Elevated condition. Significant risk.
Increase surveillance of critical locations.
Coordinate emergency plans with nearby jurisdictions.
Assess further refinement of protective measures within the context of the current threat information.
Implement, as appropriate, contingency and emergency response plans.
ORANGE: High risk of terrorist attacks.
Coordinate necessary security efforts with armed forces or law enforcement agencies.
Take additional precaution at public events.
Prepare to work at an alternate site or with a dispersed work force.
Restrict access to essential personnel only.
RED: Severe risk of terrorist attacks.
Assign emergency response personnel and pre-position specially trained teams.
Monitor, redirect or constrain transportation systems.
Close public and government facilities.
Increase or redirect personnel to address critical emergency needs.
Source: The Associated Press
Printable version
‘SOFT TARGETS’ CITED
The tactics showed that al-Qaida had “a highly refined approach to suicide bombings” that showed an increased capability when compared, for example, with the 1998 truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The FBI alert said the attacks also showed that al-Qaida appeared to be adapting its target list to so-called “soft targets” that were more lightly guarded than government or military installations.
“These attacks suggest that al-Qaida may be deterred by enhancing security and changes in the security countermeasures adopted by potential targets,” the bulletin said.
The FBI has warned before that terrorists could strike apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and businesses.
Similar attacks blamed on al-Qaida include the October 2002 bombing of a nightclub district in Bali, Indonesia, that killed almost 200 people, and the suicide bombings of an Israeli-owned beach hotel in Kenya, which killed 12 people. In the Kenya attack, two missiles narrowly missed an airliner carrying Israeli vacationers.
Officials told NBC News that intelligence analysts were not yet sure how the bombings Friday night in Casablanca, Morocco, which killed 41 people, fit into al-Qaida’s game plan. They said they believed the Morocco bombers were locals with al-Qaida links, but it was not clear that they were under central command and control.
The FBI bulletin was sent to law enforcement agencies on Friday. It followed one earlier last week that reminded police how to watch for signs of car bombs, sources told NBC News.
State and local police were urged to redouble their vigilance, especially for indications that operatives may be carrying out surveillance or trying to acquire explosives or detonation devices. The FBI has previously warned that al-Qaida members could pose as tourists, homeless people or artists in carrying out surveillance.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/915819.asp#BODY
WASHINGTON, May 20 — U.S. intelligence operatives have intercepted communications indicating an imminent al-Qaida threat inside the United States and against U.S. interests abroad, senior U.S. officials told NBC News on Tuesday, and the White House said the nation’s terror threat level would be raised to orange, or “high,” later Tuesday.
OFFICIALS SAID the FBI issued an alert last week to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network, which was blamed for two recent deadly suicide bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, could mount new attacks in the United States.
Senior officials told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell that some intelligence analysts believed the attack May 12 in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, was intended to distract U.S. authorities from paying attention to imminent threats inside the United States. The Saudi bombings killed 25 people, including eight Americans, as well as none of the bombers.
The officials said al-Qaida operatives left Saudi Arabia before the Riyadh attacks and were at large, which they described as a typical al-Qaida method of operation. They said a particularly active cell had been uncovered in Kenya.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, voiced those fears Monday, telling reporters during a trip to the kingdom that “there is chatter, a high level of chatter.”
“My gut feeling tells me something big is going to happen here or in America,” he said.
In a related development, the United States, Britain and Germany decided Tuesday to shut their embassies and some consular offices in Saudi Arabia for a few days, citing “credible information” that further terrorist strikes were being planned.
TERROR THREAT AT YELLOW
A senior U.S. official told NBC News that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and other national security officials outlined the new information Tuesday for Bush, who then decided to follow their recommendation to raise the U.S. terrorism alert level to orange, only one step below the highest level, red. It has remained at yellow, or “elevated,” since April 16.
Asked about the threat level at his daily briefing for reporters, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer acknowledged that “we have concerns about whether or not there are threats that go beyond Saudi Arabia, and discussions are under way.”
“These matters are being looked at as we speak,” Fleischer said. “We do have concerns about terrorists’ doing what they can to continue to inflict harm.”
The FBI, in its alert last week, told law enforcement agencies that the truck bombings in Saudi Arabia “indicate that the al-Qaida network remains active and highly capable.”
“The U.S. intelligence community assesses that attacks against U.S. and Western targets overseas are likely; attacks in the United States cannot be ruled out,” said the bulletin, which federal law enforcement officials discussed on condition of anonymity.
The bulletin said the Saudi attacks featured “traditional hallmarks of al-Qaida operations,” such as precise planning, surveillance and coordination among several teams. Each bombing involved a sedan followed by a truck or a sport utility vehicle laden with explosives, with gunmen used to attack guards and overcome security measures.
FACT SHEET
Terror alert levels
The Office of Homeland Security outlined five levels of terrorism alerts.
Click a tab to learn about these levels as well as recommended government and private-sector responses.
GREEN: Low risk of terrorist attacks.
Refine and exercise planned protective measures.
Ensure emergency personnel receive training.
Assess facilities for vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce them.
BLUE: Guarded condition. General risk of terrorist attack.
Check communications with designated emergency response or command locations.
Review and update emergency response procedures.
Provide the public with necessary information.
YELLOW: Elevated condition. Significant risk.
Increase surveillance of critical locations.
Coordinate emergency plans with nearby jurisdictions.
Assess further refinement of protective measures within the context of the current threat information.
Implement, as appropriate, contingency and emergency response plans.
ORANGE: High risk of terrorist attacks.
Coordinate necessary security efforts with armed forces or law enforcement agencies.
Take additional precaution at public events.
Prepare to work at an alternate site or with a dispersed work force.
Restrict access to essential personnel only.
RED: Severe risk of terrorist attacks.
Assign emergency response personnel and pre-position specially trained teams.
Monitor, redirect or constrain transportation systems.
Close public and government facilities.
Increase or redirect personnel to address critical emergency needs.
Source: The Associated Press
Printable version
‘SOFT TARGETS’ CITED
The tactics showed that al-Qaida had “a highly refined approach to suicide bombings” that showed an increased capability when compared, for example, with the 1998 truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The FBI alert said the attacks also showed that al-Qaida appeared to be adapting its target list to so-called “soft targets” that were more lightly guarded than government or military installations.
“These attacks suggest that al-Qaida may be deterred by enhancing security and changes in the security countermeasures adopted by potential targets,” the bulletin said.
The FBI has warned before that terrorists could strike apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and businesses.
Similar attacks blamed on al-Qaida include the October 2002 bombing of a nightclub district in Bali, Indonesia, that killed almost 200 people, and the suicide bombings of an Israeli-owned beach hotel in Kenya, which killed 12 people. In the Kenya attack, two missiles narrowly missed an airliner carrying Israeli vacationers.
Officials told NBC News that intelligence analysts were not yet sure how the bombings Friday night in Casablanca, Morocco, which killed 41 people, fit into al-Qaida’s game plan. They said they believed the Morocco bombers were locals with al-Qaida links, but it was not clear that they were under central command and control.
The FBI bulletin was sent to law enforcement agencies on Friday. It followed one earlier last week that reminded police how to watch for signs of car bombs, sources told NBC News.
State and local police were urged to redouble their vigilance, especially for indications that operatives may be carrying out surveillance or trying to acquire explosives or detonation devices. The FBI has previously warned that al-Qaida members could pose as tourists, homeless people or artists in carrying out surveillance.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/915819.asp#BODY
