WASHINGTON — U.S. forces throughout much of the Middle East have
been placed on alert amid threats of a terrorist attack.
The alert includes U.S. troops in Turkey, Bahrain and Qatar. The alert
also includes the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, used by U.S.
fighter-jets to enforce the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.
U.S. officials said the Pentagon is examining information that warn of a
terrorist attack. They said the information is being taken seriously in wake
of the Oct. 12 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, in which 17 sailors were
killed.
"The reason it was done was the receipt of specific threats against U.S.
forces in those areas, but from sources whose credibility is unknown," a
senior defense official said. "This was thought to be the prudent thing to
do."
Earlier, the Pentagon pulled all naval vessels out of Middle East ports.
Aden was a leading refueling port for U.S. warships.
U.S. forces in the Middle East are largely based on off-shore aircraft
carriers. But there is U.S. military personnel in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
