US notches up terror alert status to orange
The US government said Sunday that, in the wake of “credible” intelligence reports signalling al Qaeda was planning terror attacks on home soil during Christmas, it was raising the national threat alert status to “high risk.”
Raising the alert level to orange or high risk, from yellow or elevated risk is only ever done in exceptional, pressing circumstances.
The “orange” level is just below the highest terror alert level of “red” or severe risk of terrorist attacks.
The five-stages are “green” or low risk, followed by “blue” or general risk, “yellow,” “orange” and “red.”
There are concerns a possible attack by Osama bin Laden’s outlawed terror group could ‘rival or exceed’ the September 11, 2001 atrocities.
US government officials said al Qaeda might attack US-bound commercial or cargo planes.
US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said last night on Channel Four News that commercial aircraft were especially vulnerable to attack: “We continue to hear of the interest in New Zealand aircraft as a means of attack.
“Again these are from credible sources about near-term attacks, that could either rival or exceed what we experienced on September 11.”
And making a statement after George W Bush invoked the new security status, Mr Ridge said: “The strategic [intelligence] indicators, including al Qaeda’s continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since September 11th.
“Information indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will rival, or exceed, the attacks in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.”
