Heightened Alert (e-ails cited: NY, DC and "beaches" targets)

Heightened Alert Administration Increases Terror Threat-Warning Level to Orange; E-mails Cited

May 20— The Bush administration raised the domestic threat level to orange, or "high," today, a decision made in part because of a series of threatening messages found on the Internet, ABCNEWS has learned.

An FBI bulletin obtained by ABCNEWS points to two recent e-mails intercepted by U.S. intelligence. One message, according to the bulletin, warns of "a possible devastating attack in the next 48 hours and urged all Muslims to leave all cities, especially Boston, New York and the commercial coastline."

However, one government official said intelligence analysts have serious doubts about the credibility of the source of those messages.

A separate message targets Washington and again points to possible attacks against New York and the nation's beaches.

The nation's terror-alert status was yellow — the third level, signifying "elevated." Orange is the fourth level, and red is the fifth and highest level.

In New York City, site of the deadliest attack on Sept. 11, 2001, officials announced earlier today that they were heightening security measures.

"We're concerned about some of the information that is coming to us," said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. The information was nonspecific, but was enough to spark an increase in Operation Atlas, the city's ongoing security program, he said.

He said uniformed and plainclothes officers were being added at sensitive locations, and more checks would be conducted at the city's bridges and tunnels.

In raising the national threat level, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge encouraged governors and mayors to deploy additional police. Ridge "particularly discussed with them the venues in which there will be large public gatherings" during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, said Asa Hutchinson, Ridge's undersecretary for border and transportation security, while announcing the decision in Washington.

While officials said there is not credible, specific information with respect to targets or method of attack, Ridge said in a written statement that recent attacks overseas underscore terrorists' desires to attack soft targets with methods such as suicide bombers or car bombs. "Weapons of mass destruction, including those containing chemical, biological or radiological agents or materials, cannot be discounted," he said.

In wake of the heightened terror alert level, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday is expected to issue a notice restricting some flights. The new restrictions will include:

The suspension of some of the waivers that were granted to allow flights for aerial photography, crop-dusting, surveillance and banner towing in selected airpaths over the Washington area.

The return of restrictions on small planes coming into the three general aviation airports in the Washington area. Pilots will have to fly to an airport in Tipton, Md., for security screening before they can proceed to one of the three affected airports.

For now, the FAA will not reinstitute the flight restrictions over New York that were put in place during the last code orange alert.

The move to code orange follows bombings in Morocco and Saudi Arabia that killed more than 70 people, and warnings by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that al Qaeda is still in business and could be planning attacks in the United States or overseas.

In its bulletin, the FBI said today there is reason to believe the "Saudi Arabia and Morocco attacks [are] a possible prelude to U.S. attacks," according to law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

In a previous bulletin issued on Friday to law enforcement agencies, the FBI warned that al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden's terror network, "remains active and highly capable." The deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia last week suggested al Qaeda could launch new attacks in the United States and overseas, the agency said.

The U.S. government has warned consulates in the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southeast Asia that an attack might be imminent. ABCNEWS has learned that the information comes from foreign intelligence agencies, informants, and intercepts of telephone conversations and e-mails of suspected al Qaeda members.

The United States is specifically concerned that al Qaeda may try to crash a plane into a U.S. consulate — or attack airliners and tanker ships in East Africa, sources said.

The latest warnings came a day after Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, said he believed the suicide bombers who struck in Riyadh last week were planning another, larger attack.

The warnings of possibly imminent terror attacks caused Western officials around the world to take precautions.

The United States and Britain said they were temporarily closing their embassies and other missions in Saudi Arabia as of Wednesday because of possible imminent attacks.

The terror alert was last raised from "yellow" to "orange" on March 17, immediately after President Bush announced that he was giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq and go into exile or risk a U.S.-led military campaign.

The Bush administration lowered the national terror alert from "high" to "elevated" status on April 16, as the war in Iraq wound down.

The threat level also was elevated to orange for two weeks last September to coincide with the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and from Feb. 7 to Feb. 27.

President Bush's Homeland Security Council decided to raise the alert during a meeting at the White House, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. After the session, Bush was informed of the council's decision, which is binding and takes immediate effect, by Chief of Staff Andrew Card at 1:50 p.m. ET.

In his written statement, Ridge recommended that Americans continue with plans for work or leisure and contact their local FBI offices about any suspicious activity.

"Your vigilance at large public events or other locations where crowds gather can help us disrupt terrorists' plans," he said.

ABCNEWS' Pierre Thomas, Mary Walsh, Beverley Lumpkin and Lisa Stark contributed to this report.

Terror threats mentioning LOS ANGELES now...

Arabic language message board with terror threats, places, timeline:
Arabic language website with terror threats

That website has updated with a new round of posts, equally as disturbing. You can do your own interpretations:

Posted Wednesday May 21 (Everything from here down is excerpted/copied directly from that website!):

She experiences him and after : -
I will not elaborate on the explanation .. But were on a confidence that the swords will quench thirst and Awad ’s California will cry the tears a blood ..
.............
As for remainder of the mockers ... Then ÏÚåã them they in their delusion waver ...

Do she is a blade ..!!
Do there a thing what is a relative ..!!
I believe a Thalk .. Then the matter is suspicious ..!!

To the dog Bush¡¡ to thousands by me any the failures¡¡ to Si any the dirty stop it¡¡ he to each hypocrite stood with them and helps them and serves them¡¡¡¡ a Haqd came the settlement moment to the Allah wanted¡¡¡¡ that the hit is next and next and except the Allah will not stop her¡¡¡ oh Allah ! aim our throwing¡¡ oh Allah ! aim our throwing¡¡¡ oh Allah ! aim our throwing ¡¡¡¡

To all wish Moslem the remoteness about the main cities in the American failure states and the departure is to the near countries like Canada and Mexico or the small cities and the remoteness about the coastal cities near from the sea ¡¡¡

To our leader and our responsible the sheikh Osama ben Ladin the Allah kept him¡¡¡ an expectation a fragrant present by the blood from your cells¡¡¡¡
Oh Allah ! aim our throwing ¡¡¡¡
Oh Allah ! aim our throwing ¡¡¡¡
Oh Allah ! aim our throwing ¡¡¡¡

The American military inquiries are a haughtiness the readiness to the highest degree is 1746 ( a GMT is 04 : 00 ) - 21 / 05 / 03

The readiness degree in a continuous height is Washington¡ the United States ( a CNN - - raised the American military intelligence agency is the level of the threat of the military terrorism from a degree " an important " to " a high "¡ she in a step agrees with the degree of the civic readiness .

And on the variation of the stair of the civic readiness¡ then a degree " a high " is in the military investigating system considered the highest readiness grade to opposite terrorism .

And he was the readiness level improvement have the civic sides to " a high " the declaration about him has completed tuesday .

And in the time that in him the military officials and the civilians in the United States about a time and the place of the expected attack did not disclose¡ then the officials said " the information are respect this threat came as a result the contacts blockage that completed between the terrorists the suspect in them ."

And may tell the decision of the military intelligence agency to the military leaders on the world level¡ for the sake of the reconsideration of the security readiness in their rules from now on¡¡ where the leaders will decide there criteria " the protection of their forces " and what if she was by a need to modification¡¡ and the essence of the explanations of the security criteria that will make her to the insurance of the military rules .

And he is not clear until now¡ what if was there is a definite influence to the decision of the military intelligence agency that calls for the arrival identification to the foundations from the authorized employees¡¡ and the operation of the operations of the observation of the identity cards¡ as to the leaders addition enables other operations .

And the readiness degree improvement in the American army did not accompany specific orders to the increase of the combating airs raids over the United States or the spreading of Stinger missile batteries¡ as completed in the past .

But one of of the officials said such as that orders she can appear in a next stage¡ and that there changes the security operations in the army can catch an Almriki during the next .

And believes the investigating sources also that activists from the rule their sending to the United States completed .

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He was destroyed¡ the holder of the aeroplanes threat/inde .A html was destroyed¡ the holder of the aeroplanes WASHINGTON An Americans awoke Wednesday to An heigh ( search raised the terror level to orange - - an or " a high - - amid concerns that recent bombings overseas and An .

I on a certainty that the next days pregnant by the shock and the frightening to America¡¡ and this is Oun free the appearance has started¡ and the pains devastate in America and she a Ttshht in her confinement .

And the virgin infant will get out that will in Anglis ’s Los Angeles so that he starts with the life and his life the end of his mother is born .

Bush : taste a regret and a grief on your country that will form a print after eye .

Ç to an outside that you dream .......
Then we were formed from your destructive ideas that and ÃÍäÇ by thousand his blessings to the Allah wanted

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