Washington raises terrorism threat warning to second-highest level

WASHINGTON, 8 February 2003 — The Bush administration yesterday raised the national terror status from yellow to orange — claiming that a “confluence of intelligence” suggested Al-Qaeda was poised to launch new attacks on US targets within days. The level of alert is the second highest available.

While officials admitted that no individual targets had been identified, they said information received was specific, credible and came from "multiple sources".

“The United States has specific intelligence and experience demonstrating that heightened awareness and readiness on our part deters terrorism,” Attorney General John Ashcroft told a news conference.

“Today’s change in the threat condition designation from elevated to high risk will trigger a series of security precautions by the federal government as well as state and local governments and US citizens to increase readiness to prevent terrorism,” he said. “High” risk is the second-highest level of threat. “This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community. This information has been corroborated by multiple intelligence sources,” Ashcroft said.

The new Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said the heightened security risk did not mean that Americans should cancel events or change travel plans.

Ashcroft said Al-Qaeda terror network is planning attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other targets in the United States and other countries. “Recent reporting indicates an increased likelihood that Al-Qaeda may attempt to attack Americans in the United States and or abroad in or around the end of Haj,” he said.

“Recent intelligence reports suggests that Al-Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States,” Ashcroft said.

“There are also indications bolstered by the recent arrests in London where chemical — ricin was discovered. These indications demonstrate Al-Qaeda’s interest in carrying out chemical, biological and radiological attacks,” he added.

“Historically, the intelligence community has indicated that Al-Qaeda might also seek economic targets, including the transportation and energy sectors, as well as symbolic targets and symbols of American power,” he said. (The Independent)