WASHINGTON, Aug 4: Top US officials have met to review the threat of a terrorist attack that led to the weekend closure of 21 US embassies and consulates in the Muslim world and a global travel warning to Americans.
President Barack Obama was briefed following the session, the White House said.
Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, led the meeting yesterday and then joined Lisa Monaco, Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, in briefing the president, the White House said in a statement.
“The president has received frequent briefings over the last week on all aspects of the potential threat and our preparedness measures,” according to the statement.
Among those at the meeting yesterday afternoon were the secretaries of state, defense and homeland security and the directors of the FBI, CIA and the National Security Agency, according to the White House. Also attending was Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In an interview on Friday with ABC News, Dempsey said officials had determined there was “a significant threat stream” and that the threat was more specific than previous ones. The “intent is to attack Western, not just US interests,” he said.
The global travel warning was the first such alert since an announcement before the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The warning comes less than a year since the deadly September attack on a US diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and with the Obama administration and Congress determined to prevent any similar breach of an American embassy or consulate.
The State Department’s warning urged US travellers to take extra precautions overseas. It cited potential dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, and noted that previous attacks have centered on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats.
Travellers were advised to sign up for State Department alerts and register with US consulates in the countries they visit.
The statement said that al-Qaeda or its allies might target either US government or private American interests. The alert expires on August 31.
The State Department said the potential for terrorism was particularly acute in the Middle East and North Africa, with a possible attack occurring on or coming from the Arabian Peninsula. The diplomatic facilities affected stretch from Mauritania in northwest Africa to Afghanistan. (Agencies)
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