Officials said the U.S. intelligence community has relayed information
that Al Qaida intends to launch an attack during the Id Al Adha holiday with "soft targets" such as tourists likely victims. The
holiday is marked by an annual Muslim pilgrimage to the Saudi city of
Mecca.
Id Al Adha is expected to begin on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of
Muslims, including Gulf Arab leaders, have arrived in Mecca for the Haj
pilgrimage, Middle East Newsline reported.
Officials said Al Qaida could be planning attacks similar to those
launched last year on an Israeli-owned resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenya and
nightclub in Bali, Indonesia. The attacks focus on so-called soft targets
that contain Western civilians, mostly tourists.
The Bush administration has placed the country on "Code Orange,"
described as the second-highest level of alert. Orange signifies a high risk of attack
and President George Bush ordered the new level of alert amid intelligence
information of an impending Al Qaida strike. Code Red, the highest level,
indicates severe risk of terrorist attacks.
Attorney General John Ashcroft told a briefing on Friday that Al Qaida could be targeting
Americans both in the United States and abroad. He said such an attack could
take place over the next week.
"This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on
specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence
community," Ashcroft said. "This information has been
corroborated by multiple intelligence sources."
"Recent intelligence reports suggest that Al Qaida leaders have
emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other
soft or lightly secured targets in the United States," Ashcroft said.
Officials, however, could not rule out the prospect of a chemical
weapons attack. They said Al Qaida could also be targeting energy
and transportation facilities.
Code Orange requires the federal government to coordinate security
efforts with state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the
National Guard. The measures include extra protection at public events and
dispersing government employees to other sites. Another requirement is for
restrictive access to facilities determined to be under threat.
"The call that we've made today, which Americans have certainly heard
before, is based on our knowledge and our conviction that heightened
awareness and readiness deters terrorism and saves lives," Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge said.
