[NevadaARES] Threat Level Raised to "Orange"

[Paul Cavnar]

WASHINGTON  � The government has raised the national threat warning
from yellow, the midpoint on its five-color scale, to orange, a federal
official
said today.

Tom Ridge  the homeland security secretary, planned to discuss the
change at a mid afternoon news conference at the agency's headquarters.
A department official confirmed the elevated threat level but declined to
provide details before Ridge's appearance.

U.S. officials by the end of last week were telling holiday travelers to be
vigilant about the threat of terrorist attacks. The warning was prompted in
part by a raised level of ominous intercepted communications that has not
quieted for months.

The significance of the sustained level of intelligence "chatter" is
unclear, the officials said.

Homeland Security officials said they did not expect a change in the
threat level unless more specific intelligence was received.

On Friday, the Arabic television network Al-Jazeera  aired a new statement
from Ayman al-Zawahri, the chief deputy of Usama bin Laden. The CIA
said Saturday it believes the tape is authentic.

"We are still chasing the Americans and their allies everywhere, even in
their homeland," according to the voice on the tape.

Some statements from Al Qaeda  leaders are later regarded as preludes to
attacks; others simply propaganda.