National terror alert lowered from orange to yellow

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration lowered the national terror alert Thursday from orange to yellow, suggesting the immediate threat of an attack on U.S. soil had eased. Still, Americans were warned to "continue to be defiant and alert."

Counterterrorism officials said al-Qaida remains capable of attacking, and they cautioned people not to think the threat had passed.

"Al-Qaida will wait until it believes Americans are less vigilant and less prepared before it will strike again," Attorney General John Ashcroft and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a joint statement.

The conclusion of the Muslim hajj holiday period played a role in the decision to lower the threat level from orange, the second-highest level on the five-part scale, Ashcroft and Ridge said. Counterterrorism officials had noted intelligence information pointing toward a possible attack around the time of the holiday, which is in early and mid-February.

Abated to a degree

Other, unspecified intelligence suggested that the threat of imminent attack has abated to a degree, officials said.

The two Cabinet secretaries said that lowering the alert status "is only an indication that some of the extra protective measures enacted by government and the private sector may be reduced at this time."

A yellow, or elevated, alert is the third-highest alert on a five-step scale. It means intelligence suggests a significant risk of terrorist attacks. The orange alert is a step higher and means there is a high risk of an attack. The highest alert level, never activated since the system was instituted last year, is red.

The level was raised to orange on Feb. 7, prompting the government and businesses to impose extra security measures at buildings, utilities and other key infrastructure sites.

A senior FBI official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said despite the uncertainties in trusting terrorism-related intelligence, the administration prefers to err on the side of caution.

Indeed, the FBI is circulating a new bulletin to local and state law enforcement agencies this week warning that al-Qaida operatives plotting U.S. attacks might use surveillance techniques ranging from hidden cameras to phony beggars.

Law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security officials debated for days about the proper time to lower the alert status as communications among suspected terrorists waned and some leads on possible threats were discredited.

Those discussions were held in the shadow of a potential war with Iraq, which would be expected to increase the risk of terrorist attacks against Americans. As recently as Monday, Attorney General John Ashcroft said there were no plans to lower the national alert level.

Nearly three weeks at orange rattled some people in a citizenry that has been subject to repeated, dire warnings of imminent al-Qaida terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. While al-Qaida has since orchestrated some successful attacks overseas, the group has not struck inside the United States since hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center and Pentagon and killed about 3,000 people.

During the alert, some anxious Americans stocked up on water, food and other materials, as recommended by the Department of Homeland Security.

With the reduction in threat level, some recent security measures around the country are expected to be relaxed. Many of those measures -- from extra guards to expanded searches at border crossings and airports -- cost businesses and taxpayers a good deal of money and time, Ridge has acknowledged.

The warning system also has drawn criticism as being too vague to be of much use to the public.

"It seems to make people afraid without telling them what to do in any way," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., speaking to reporters.

As the alert was being lowered, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle said the government should consider targeting its terror warnings to specific cities or regions. Washington and New York probably merit a higher threat status than his home state of South Dakota, for example, Daschle said.

A nationwide alert "is like having one weather report for the whole country," he said.

This is the second time the nation has gone from yellow to orange and back since the color-coded terror alert system was set up. The level started at yellow.

Last September a high-level al-Qaida prisoner suggested attacks were imminent on U.S. embassies in southeast Asia. The alert went to orange and several embassies were temporarily closed. No attack took place, and the status returned to yellow later in the month.

The lowest level is green, followed by blue, yellow, orange and red.