A global travel alert issued Friday by the State Department warned al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks, a threat that prompted Sunday's closure of 21 embassies and consulates. The U.S. government's actions are in response to growing intelligence that shows a potential for attacks in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East as well as North Africa, said U.S. officials who spoke to CNN on condition of not being identified. "The threat appears to be much worse than it has (been) in a long time," said a senior national security official in Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come."
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The State Department issues a global travel alert on possible al Qaeda attacks
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Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot
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Rep. King: Information is "specific," attacks "really could be almost anyplace"
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Western targets, not just American ones, are under threat, officials say
Said one @placeholder official: "It all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future."