The US government today put the nation on the second-highest state of alert for a possible terrorist attack, warning of new threats from al-Qaeda amid a massive military buildup in the Gulf region.
"Recent reporting indicates an increased likelihood that al-Qaeda may attempt to attack Americans in the US and/or abroad in or around the end of the hajj, a Muslim religious period ending mid-February 2003," the attorney general Mr John Ashcroft said.
"Recent intelligence reports suggest that al-Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States," Mr Ashcroft said.
Raising the color-coded terrorism threat warning level from "elevated" to "high" triggers a series of security precautions at all levels of government, Mr Ashcroft said.
The announcement followed a State Department warning last night alerting US citizens abroad to a "heightened threat" of terrorist attacks, including those using chemical and biological weapons. And it came as US President George W. Bush's administration ratcheted up pressure to persuade Baghdad to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction.
The US alert system is based on a five-color scale, ranging from green (low) and blue (guarded) to yellow (elevated), orange (high) and red (severe).
The government last declared a high risk on September 10th, 2002, one day ahead of the anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, claimed by the al-Qaeda network.
The new secretary of homeland security, Mr Tom Ridge, said the heightened security risk did not mean that Americans should cancel events or change travel plans.
But Mr Ridge noted: "We do recommend that individuals and families in the days ahead take some time to prepare for an emergency."