Threat Assessment:  United States Still On Alert

The United States is still on alert for possible terrorist attacks, officials said today, even though the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which prompted the latest warning, has come to an end (see GSN, Dec. 4).

“The alert remains in effect because the threat still remains,” Office of Homeland Security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.  The threat warning issued at the beginning of the month will stay in effect at least through the Jewish and Christian holidays, according to the Associated Press.

U.S. agencies have received information on possible threats since the Dec. 3 warning was issued, law enforcement and intelligence officials said.  The information is not specific, but does illustrate that terrorists sympathetic to suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden want to attack, the officials said.

Bin Laden supporters have also viewed the end of Ramadan as a time to strike, they added. In a recently released videotape, bin Laden is heard predicting Allah will provide “more victory during the holy month of Ramadan,” according to the AP.

There are no plans to issue a new warning, the AP reported.  People will be informed that the recent warning is still in effect and that they need to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, the officials said.

According to one senior official, the U.S. message is “not to let your guard down one bit.  There are terrorists whose plans might have been disrupted who remain at large and are looking for the opportunity.”

New Alert System Planned

The Bush administration is examining new ways of issuing threat warnings, the AP reported. Office of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge is considering a four-stage plan similar to the U.S. military’s “DEFCON” system.  The plan, scheduled to be implemented next year, would help local law enforcement rate the seriousness of each threat, officials said (John Soloman, Associated Press, Dec. 18).

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