Thread: U.S. issues global terror alert

U.S. issues global travel alert, to close embassies due to al Qaeda threat

By Chris Lawrence. Barbara Starr and Tom Cohen,CNN
updated 6:38 PM EDT, Fri August 2, 2013



Terror threat prompts embassy closures


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot
• 21 U.S. embassies and consulates to close Sunday
• The State Department issues a global travel alert on possible al Qaeda attacks
• An official says the Benghazi attack may affected the latest U.S. response

(CNN) -- A global travel alert issued Friday by the State Department warned al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks, a threat that prompted Sunday's closure of 21 embassies and consulates.

The U.S. government's actions are in response to growing intelligence that shows a potential for attacks in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East as well as North Africa, said U.S. officials who spoke to CNN on condition of not being identified.
"The threat appears to be much worse than it has (been) in a long time," said a senior national security official in Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come."
According to three sources, the United States has information that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula members are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack.
One of the sources said that such preparations appeared to have increased in recent days with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In particular, Sunday is Lylet al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, which is one of the holiest moments on the Muslim calendar.
Based on intelligence, U.S. officials said, there was particular concern about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday.
Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites

A suicide bomb goes off at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on February 1. A security guard was killed and a journalist was wounded in the attack. The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, took responsibility for the bombing. Take a look at other attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites around the world in recent years.

Demonstrators set the U.S. Consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. The U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack.

People flee the scene of a Taliban attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 13, 2011. Three police officers and one civilian were killed. There were no reports of U.S. casualties.

Officials examine the aftermath of a terrorist attack outside the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 5, 2010. The coordinated attack involved a vehicle suicide bomb and attackers who tried to enter the consulate by using grenades and weapons fire. Two consulate security guards and at least six others were killed.

Yemeni soldiers carry the coffin of a comrade during a funeral on September 25, 2008, in Sanaa. Heavily armed fighters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Yemen on September 17. A car bomb was detonated, killing 10 Yemeni police and civilians and six attackers.

Relatives of slain police officers are comforted during a funeral in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 10, 2008, a day after the U.S. Consulate there was attacked. Three police officers and three attackers were killed in what the American ambassador to the country called "an obvious act of terrorism" aimed at the U.S.

A bomb squad team collects evidence at a construction site where a rocket was launched near the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, on January 12, 2007. The anti-tank missile tore through the embassy, but there were no injuries.

A car exploded near the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria, on September 12, 2006. Fourteen people were wounded. Syrian authorities killed three attackers and apprehended a suspect outside the building.

A U.S. diplomat and his driver were among at least four people killed on March 2, 2006, in an apparent suicide attack outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.

An attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killed nine people on December 7, 2004. A Saudi group linked to al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack.

A Pakistani police officer stands guard outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi after a gunman opened fire there on February 28, 2003. Two police officers were killed, and six others, including one civilian, were injured.

Family members of a victim who was killed by a bomb a day earlier embrace at a hospital in Denpasar, Bali, on October 14, 2002. A series of bombs killed more than 200 people at nightclubs while another attack occurred near the U.S. Consulate on the Indonesian tourist island. Authorities believe the attacks were coordinated.

A previously unknown militant group called Al-Qanoon claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed 10 people at the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 14, 2002. The U.S. State Department says it suspects al Qaeda is responsible.

Police officers stand next to the body of a victim after a car bomb exploded on March 20, 2002, at a shopping center near the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, killing nine people.

Christopher Sandrolini, the U.S. consul general in Calcutta, speaks with Indian officials outside the U.S. government information center in Calcutta, near the U.S. Consulate, where heavily armed gunmen killed five Indian police officers on January 22, 2002.

Rescue workers stand on the remains of a building in front of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 10, 1998, four days after a deadly attack. Twelve Americans were among more than 200 people killed in nearly simultaneous bombings at U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, center, walks past the damaged U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam on August 18, 1998. The August 7 attacks in Tanzania and Kenya were later attributed to al Qaeda.



Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites



Demonstrators set the U.S. Consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. The U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack. The Obama administration initially blamed a mob inflamed by a U.S.-produced movie that mocked Islam and its Prophet Mohammed, but later said the storming of the consulate appears to have been a terrorist attack. View photos of protesters storming the U.S. Embassy buildings.

A desk inside the burnt U.S. Consulate building in Benghazi, Libya, on September 13, two days after the attack.

The damage inside the burnt U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on September 13.

A lounge chair and umbrella float in the swimming pool of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on September 13.

Demonstrators on September 12 gather in Libya to condemn the killers and voice support for the victims in the attack on the U.S. Consulate.

U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement about the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Rose Garden at the White House on September 12 in Washington.

A burnt vehicle is seen at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 12.

People inspect the damage at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 12.

A small American flag is seen in the rubble at the U.S. Consulate on September 12.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stand at Andrews Air Force Base as the bodies of the four Americans killed at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi are returned on September 14.

A man stands in part of the burned-out compound on September 12.

Smoke and fire damage is evident in this consulate building on September 12.

Half-burnt debris and ash cover the floor of one of the consulate buildings on September 12.

The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames on September 11.

A protester reacts as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi burns on September 11.

A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the compound on September 11.

Flames erupt outside of a building in the U.S. consulate compound on September 11.

A vehicle burns during the attack Tuesday on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on September 11.

Onlookers record the damage from the attack on September 11.

Onlookers walk past a burning truck and building in the compound on September 11.

A vehicle sits smoldering in flames on September 11.

People duck flames outside a consulate building on September 11.


Photos: Attack on U.S. Consulate in Libya


Still, it's unclear if the apparent plot targets that Arabian nation or one elsewhere -- which is why the travel alert applies so broadly, and why embassies from Bangladesh to Libya are being closed. The expected time of an attack also isn't known, with the U.S. travel alert noting the threat extends through the end of August.
"Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," the alert states. "U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure."
21 embassies, consulates ordered closed
The State Department made public Friday a list of 21 embassies and consulates that will close Sunday, which is normally the start of the work week in the countries affected.
The 17 affected U.S. embassies are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen. The U.S. embassy in Israel will be closed as normal Sunday.
See the whole list
Consulates in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also being shut down for the day. Embassies and consulates in the region typically close their doors or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays.


Potential terror threat in Mideast


Central Asia cause of embassy threat


CNN Explains: The Benghazi attacks
The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said.
House leaders have been briefed on the situation, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters, adding that the travel alert and embassy closings provided "some understanding of the seriousness of the threat."
"It's my understanding that it is al Qaeda-linked, all right, and the threat emanates in the Middle East and in Central Asia," said Rep. Ed Royce, a California Republican who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Questions, concerns after attack on U.S. consulate in Benghazi
These discussions in Washington come as politicians continue to seek answers regarding the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consular compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Since then, Republicans have been pressing President Barack Obama's administration for answers, with some accusing officials of covering up what happened in Benghazi and not doing enough to track down the attackers.
Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry thus far has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN.
Earlier this week, Vice President Joe Biden and senior State Department officials went to Congress to discuss embassy security.
Biden also briefed congressional leadership, key committee chairmen and ranking members about the latest threat concerns, a source who attended the meeting said.
Another official said the recent intelligence might not have warranted such a response before the Benghazi attack, given the political firestorm it created for the Obama administration.
On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps at diplomatic sites out of an abundance of caution.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/02/politics/us-embassies-close/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

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Audio message thought to be from al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri criticizes the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy.

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Opinion: There is significance, Peter Bergen writes, to the day some U.S. diplomatic missions will close. They have a long history as targets (1998 pictured). FULL STORY

• U.S. issues global travel alert
• What's behind the embassy threat?
• Where in world could they strike?
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Intercepted al Qaeda message led to shuttering embassies, consulates

By Barbara Starr. Chris Lawrence and Tom Cohen,CNN
updated 3:09 PM EDT, Sun August 4, 2013



Terror threat prompts embassy closures

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• An intercepted al Qaeda message led to the closing of embassies and consulates
• CNN national security analyst: "Some of this ... is about buying time"
• In Yemen's capital, some say warnings about attacks are overblown
• Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot

(CNN) -- An intercepted message among senior al Qaeda operatives in the last several days raised alarm bells that led to the closing of embassies and consulates Sunday across the Middle East and North Africa, CNN has learned.
CNN has agreed to a request from an Obama administration official not to publish or broadcast additional details because of the sensitivity of the information.
Several U.S. officials also emphasized they have been watching growing threats emerging from Yemen for weeks.
Those threats, combined with the coming end of the month of Ramadan, plus the concern over several major prison breaks in the region, all contributed to the U.S. decision to shut down diplomatic installations.
The shuttering of 22 U.S. embassies and consulates for the day Sunday amid fears of an al Qaeda attack is an unprecedented move.
"We're doing what is necessary to protect our people," Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.
The closures stretch across a swath of North Africa and the Middle East, from Mauritania to Oman. Bangladesh and Afghanistan, both majority Muslim nations, also are affected.
The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said. A U.S. global travel alert is also in place.
As White House and national security officials met to discuss the threat and U.S. military forces in the Middle East were put on a higher state of alert,Interpol warned that al Qaeda has been tied to prison breaks in the regionthat led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists and other criminals.
It's unclear what locations are targeted by the apparent terror plot, U.S. lawmakers said Sunday.


Central Asia cause of embassy threat



Potential terror threat in Mideast



CNN Explains: The Benghazi attacks



Embassy threat alert
"I think we know a lot more about the when than the where. And you can tell that from the breadth of the closures across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula," Schiff said. "But the when was very specific in terms of a Sunday. Obviously, that may continue and the closures may continue. The travel warning is more extensive. But this is not the usual kind of chatter, not the more generalized 'death to the Americans' or 'death to great Satan.' "
CNN national security analyst Fran Fragos Townsend said there could be a strategic reason for shutting down the diplomatic offices.
"Once you take targets away, it buys you additional time to try and disrupt, to identify the cell, the operators in country and the region, and work with your partners in the region to try and, you know, get them in custody or disrupt the plot," she said. "So, some of this operationally is about buying time."
Of particular concern is Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come," said a senior U.S. security official.
Over the weekend, the security around the U.S. Embassy in Yemen was even tighter than last year, when protesters raided it. At least 12 tanks were stationed within 500 meters of the building.
Britain, France and Germany also closed their embassies in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Sunday and Monday for security reasons. No other embassies are affected, they said.
See the full list
Western targets under threat
Official: Security tightened in Yemen
"The threat appears to be much worse than it has (been) in a long time," said a senior U.S. security official in Yemen.
Various Western targets -- not just those tied to the United States -- are under threat, two U.S. officials said.
Three sources said the United States has information that members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack.

One of the sources said such preparations appeared to have increased in recent days, with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Sunday is Laylet al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, one of the holiest moments on the Muslim calendar.
Said one U.S. official: "It all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future."
Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday that it was "one of the most specific and credible threats I've seen perhaps since 9/11."
"Because of the specificity, because of where it is coming from, the credibility of it, the level of chatter, it seems to be a fairly large operation," he said. "It's giving the intelligence community quite a bit of pause right now."
Concerns aboutYemen
U.S. officials said that based on intelligence, they were particularly concerned about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday. President Barack Obama, amid regular updates on the situation, has directed officials to take all appropriate steps to protect Americans.
Hundreds of additional security forces were deployed, and roads leading to the embassy were closed. Checkpoints were set up at a distance from the embassy, and trucks weren't allowed to pass anywhere near the main embassy road.
Yemen's special forces, the most elite, were seen in small numbers near the embassy as well.
The UK Foreign Office has also warned its citizens against travel to Yemen, and it urged British nationals to leave as soon as possible.
"If you don't leave the country now while commercial carriers are still flying, it is extremely unlikely that the British government will be able to evacuate you or provide consular assistance," it said.
In Sanaa, some said concerns about attacks were overblown.
Wagdi Al-Absi, a university professor based there, told CNN that the threats and warnings are exaggerated.
"Al Qaeda was a real threat and very powerful in Yemen two years ago. Still, embassies did not close," he said. "Today, when al Qaeda is handicapped, the West considers them a real threat. It's the total opposite.
"Streets in Yemen are normal, and security forces are always on the watch. That is why al Qaeda attacks in the capital are not common."
Time of attack unknown
The expected time of an attack is unknown, which explains why a U.S. travel alert extends through August.
"Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," the alert states. "U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure."
U.S. Rep. Peter King of New York, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the information "the most specific I've seen."
While the principal attention is on the Arabian Peninsula, he stressed to CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "we can't rule anything out."
"We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace," King said.
U.S. forces on alert
Select U.S. military forces in the Middle East were put on a higher state of alert.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held a series of high-level meetings at the Pentagon "to take a look at what forces we have in the region" that can be used if there is an attack, a U.S. official told CNN.
These forces are at "quite a high state of readiness achieved only a handful of times in the last year," the official said. He declined to be specific, but two other officials have told CNN that U.S. Navy amphibious ships in the Red Sea last week moved closer to Yemen.
There are also combat-equipped Marines in southern Spain and southern Italy that could begin moving in as little as one hour from getting orders.
The U.S. military has taken similar action in recent months, especially at times of unrest in Yemen and Egypt. These forces in the Red Sea, Spain and Italy have been regularly deployed to these areas since last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya, when the U.S. military did not have forces nearby.
Unprecedented move
Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, told CNN he had never seen embassy closures ordered across such a broad area.
"There have been incidents where they've closed down a number of embassies in the Middle East because the information is not specific enough to say that 'embassy X' got to be closed as opposed to other embassies," said Hill, who joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1977.
"But I think this, closing all of these embassies in the Middle East to North Africa, is in fact unprecedented. At least, I didn't see this during my career."
Concerns after Benghazi
House leaders have been briefed, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters, adding that the travel alert and embassy closings provided "some understanding of the seriousness of the threat."
King, who has also heard such briefings, applauded the government's decision to close its diplomatic missions.
"I give them credit," the Republican said of the Obama administration. "I think the government is doing exactly the right thing here."
Such bipartisan agreement in Washington comes at a time when politicians are still scrutinizing the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consular compound in Benghazi, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Since then, Republicans have been pressing Obama's administration for answers, with some accusing officials of covering up what happened in Benghazi and not doing enough to track down the attackers.
Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry to date has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN.
Earlier last week, Vice President Joe Biden and senior State Department officials went to Congress to discuss embassy security.
Biden also briefed congressional leadership, key committee chairmen and ranking members about the latest threat concerns, a source who attended the meeting said.
Another official said the recent intelligence might not have warranted such a response before the Benghazi attack, which created a political firestorm for the administration.
On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps out of an abundance of caution.
List of closures
The following U.S. posts normally open on Sunday will be closed on Sunday.
U.S. Embassy Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
U.S. Consulate Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
U.S. Consulate Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq
U.S. Consulate Basra, Iraq
U.S. Consulate Erbil, Iraq
U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
U.S. Consulate Dubai, United Arab Emirates
U.S. Embassy Tripoli, Libya
U.S. Embassy Algiers, Algeria
U.S. Embassy Amman, Jordan
U.S. Embassy Cairo, Egypt
U.S. Embassy Djibouti, Djibouti
U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh
U.S. Embassy Doha, Qatar
U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan
U.S. Embassy Khartoum, Sudan
U.S. Embassy Kuwait City, Kuwait
U.S. Embassy Manama, Bahrain
U.S. Embassy Muscat, Oman
U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania
U.S. Embassy Sana'a, Yemen
What's behind timing of terror threat
Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/04/politics/us-embassies-close/index.html?eref=googletoolbar

State Department extends closings for some embassies and consulates; closes additional posts.

http://www.alipac.us/f9/new-york-san...curity-284990/