Nation's Threat Level Rising to Orange

[njdionysus]

Be careful and keep your eyes wide open this holiday season.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government on Sunday raised the national threat level to orange, the second-highest, saying attacks were possible during the holiday season and that threat indicators are "perhaps greater now than at any point" since Sept. 11, 2001.

"Information indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will rival or exceed the scope and impact of those we experienced in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania more than two years ago," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a statement released before his news conference on the announcement.

He cited reports that Osama bin-Laden's terrorist network is trying find holes in U.S. aviation security.

The government elevated the threat level, last raised in May, from yellow to orange after U.S. intelligence agencies "received a substantial increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports," Ridge said.

"These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond," he said. "These strategic indicators, including al-Qaida's continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept 11."

A senior intelligence official said last week that analysts were particularly concerned about the threat of Sept. 11-style attacks, in which terrorists would use hijacked airliners as weapons.

Ridge said that "recent reporting reiterates that al-Qaida continues to consider using aircraft as a weapon. They are evaluating procedures both here and abroad to find gaps in our security posture that can be exploited."

He also sought to reassure Americans about the warning.

"We have not raised the threat level in this country for six months, but we have raised it before. And as before, Americans can be assured that we know what we must do and we are doing it," Ridge said.

[georgym]

i think there's a correlation between the Nation's threat level rising and sexual activities increasing