The rare decision by the U.S. State Department to close more than a dozen embassies across the Muslim world Sunday follows the discovery of a serious threat from a branch of al Qaeda aimed at U.S. and Western interests, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said during an exclusive interview with ABC News. 
 
 "There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it," Dempsey told ABC News' Martha Raddatz during the interview for "This Week," describing the threat as "more specific" than previous threats. 
 
 (Image Credit: ABC News) 
 
 ABC News reported Thursday that embassies across the Middle East and North Africa - including those in Egypt, Iraq and Kuwait - will close Sunday because of "a specific threat against a U.S. embassy or consulate." 
 
 The State Department today issued a global travel warning to all U.S. citizens around the world, alerting them to the "continued potential for terrorist attacks." 
 
 READ: Citing Al Qaeda Threat, U.S. Issues Global Travel Alert 
 
 Dempsey said the action the terrorist group might take was "unspecified," but added that the intent was clear. 
 
 "The intent is to attack Western, not just U.S. interests," he said. 
 
 See more of the interview with Army Gen. Martin Dempsey Sunday on "This Week." 
 
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 Go here to find out when "This Week" is on in your area. ||||| Story highlights The State Department issues a global travel alert on possible al Qaeda attacks 
 
 Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot 
 
 Rep. King: Information is "specific," attacks "really could be almost anyplace" 
 
 Western targets, not just American ones, are under threat, officials say 
 
 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." 
 
 Various Western targets -- not just those tied to the United States -- are under threat, according to two U.S. officials. 
 
 According to three sources, the United States has information that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula members are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack. 
 
 One of the sources said that such preparations appeared to have increased in recent days with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In particular, Sunday is Laylet al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, which is one of the holiest moments on the Muslim calendar. 
 
 Said one U.S. official: "It all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future." 
 
 Based on intelligence, U.S. officials said, there was particular concern about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday. President Barack Obama -- who, amid regular updates on the situation, has directed officials to take all appropriate steps to protect Americans -- praised Yemeni President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi for his country's efforts following a meeting Thursday at the White House. 
 
 Still, it's unclear whether the apparent plot targets that Arabian nation or one elsewhere -- which is why the travel alert applies so broadly, and why embassies from Bangladesh to Libya are being closed. The expected time of an attack also isn't known, with the U.S. travel alert noting the threat extends through the end of August. 
 
 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Attackers set the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack. The Obama administration initially thought the attack was carried out by an angry mob responding to a video, made in the United States, that mocked Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. But the storming of the mission was later determined to have been a terrorist attack. Hide Caption 1 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Obama and Clinton stand at Andrews Air Force Base as the bodies of the four Americans killed are returned on September 14. Hide Caption 2 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A desk sits inside the burnt U.S. mission on September 13, two days after the attack. Hide Caption 3 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Damage is seen inside the U.S. mission on September 13. Hide Caption 4 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A lounge chair and umbrella float in the swimming pool of the U.S. mission on September 13. Hide Caption 5 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Demonstrators gather in Libya on September 12 to condemn the killers and voice support for the victims. Hide Caption 6 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – U.S. President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 12, makes a statement at the White House about Stevens' death. Hide Caption 7 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A burnt vehicle is seen at the U.S. mission in Benghazi on September 12. Hide Caption 8 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – People inspect the damage on September 12. Hide Caption 9 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A small American flag is seen in the rubble on September 12. Hide Caption 10 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A man stands in part of a burned-out building of the U.S. mission on September 12. Hide Caption 11 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Smoke and fire damage is evident inside a building on September 12. Hide Caption 12 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Half-burnt debris and ash cover the floor of one of the U.S. mission buildings on September 12. Hide Caption 13 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – The U.S. mission is seen in flames on September 11, the day of the attack. Hide Caption 14 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A protester reacts as the U.S. mission burns on September 11. Hide Caption 15 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames on September 11. Hide Caption 16 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Flames erupt outside of a building on September 11. Hide Caption 17 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle burns during the attack on the U.S. mission on September 11. Hide Caption 18 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Onlookers record the damage from the attack on September 11. Hide Caption 19 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Onlookers walk past a burning truck and building on September 11. Hide Caption 20 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle sits smoldering in flames on September 11. Hide Caption 21 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – People duck flames outside a building on September 11. Hide Caption 22 of 22 
 
 "Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," the alert states. "U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." 
 
 New York Rep. Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the information "the most specific I've seen." 
 
 While the principal attention is on the Arabian Peninsula, he stressed to CNN's Wolf Blitzer that"we can't rule anything out." 
 
 "We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace," said King. 
 
 21 embassies, consulates ordered closed 
 
 The State Department made public Friday a list of 21 embassies and consulates that will close Sunday, which is normally the start of the work week in the countries affected. 
 
 The 17 affected U.S. embassies are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen. The U.S. embassy in Israel will be closed as normal Sunday. 
 
 Consulates in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also being shut down for the day. Embassies and consulates in the region typically close their doors or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays. 
 
 The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said. 
 
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 Retired Gen. James Mattis -- who until earlier this year was head of U.S. Central Command, responsible for a 20-country area that includes the Middle East -- said the decision to close the embassies shows the reality of the threat and the wisdom of U.S. policymakers. 
 
 U.S. embassies have been targeted before in places such as Yemen, Turkey and Tanzania, he pointed out. Moreover, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is one of the terrorist network's most active and most destructive branches. 
 
 "We have to remember that we're up against an enemy who kills indiscriminately -- whether it be women, children, diplomats -- and our embassies ... have been one of the targets," Mattis told CNN on Friday. "They are showing some proactive discretion here, making certain that we don't give the enemy an opportunity that we can deny them." 
 
 Questions, concerns after Benghazi 
 
 House leaders have been briefed on the situation, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters, adding that the travel alert and embassy closings provided "some understanding of the seriousness of the threat." 
 
 King, who has also heard such briefings, applauded the government's decision to close its diplomatic missions. 
 
 "I give them credit," the Republican said of the Obama administration. "I think the government is doing exactly the right thing here." 
 
 Such bipartisan agreement in Washington come at a time politicians are still pushing to seek answers regarding the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consular compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. 
 
 Since then, Republicans have been pressing President Barack Obama's administration for answers, with some accusing officials of covering up what happened in Benghazi and not doing enough to track down the attackers. 
 
 Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry thus far has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN. 
 
 Earlier this week, Vice President Joe Biden and senior State Department officials went to Congress to discuss embassy security. 
 
 Biden also briefed congressional leadership, key committee chairmen and ranking members about the latest threat concerns, a source who attended the meeting said. 
 
 Another official said the recent intelligence might not have warranted such a response before the Benghazi attack, given the political firestorm it created for the Obama administration. 
 
 On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps at diplomatic sites out of an abundance of caution. ||||| The Obama administration authorized a series of drone strikes in Yemen over the past 10 days as part of an effort to disrupt an al-Qaeda terrorism plot that has forced the closure of American embassies around the world, U.S. officials said. 
 
 The officials said the revived drone campaign — with five strikes in rapid succession — is directly related to intelligence indicating that al-Qaeda’s leader has urged the group’s Yemen affiliate to attack Western targets. 
 
 The strikes have ended a period in which U.S. drone activity in the Arabian Peninsula has been relatively rare, with a seven-week stretch with no strikes. The latest strike, in southern Yemen on Wednesday, killed seven alleged militants, the Associated Press reported. A strike on Tuesday reportedly killed four militants in the impoverished nation’s Marib province, a Yemeni security official said. 
 
 Although the BBC reported Wednesday that the terror plot had been disrupted,citing statements by Yemeni government officials, U.S. intelligence officials remain skeptical that the danger has passed. One intelligence official said the plot as described by the Yemenis — involving blowing up pipelines and taking over oil and gas facilities — may have been only one component of a broader plan to hit Western targets. 
 
 Officials said Tuesday there is no indication that senior al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen have been killed in the drone strikes. 
 
 “It’s too early to tell whether we’ve actually disrupted anything,” a senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The official described the renewed air assault as part of a coordinated response to intelligence that has alarmed counterterrorism officials but lacks specific details about what al-Qaeda may target or when. 
 
 “What the U.S. government is trying to do here is to buy time,” the official added. 
 
 The State Department underlined that approach on Tuesday, announcing that it had ordered the evacuation of much of the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and urged all Americans to leave the country immediately. 
 
 In a global travel alert, the State Department said that all non-emergency U.S. government personnel would be removed “due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks.” It described an “extremely high” security threat level in Yemen. 
 
 Yemen is the home base of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the branch of the terrorist group thought to be the most likely to attack U.S. or Western interests. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen was among 19 that were closed through Saturday, as were embassies in Yemen representing several European nations. The British Embassy said Tuesday that it had removed its staff. 
 
 The State Department’s decision drew a sharp rebuke from the Yemeni government, which said the evacuation “serves the interests of the extremists and undermines the exceptional cooperation between Yemen and the international alliance against terrorism.” 
 
 “Yemen has taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of foreign missions in the capital,” the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said in a statement. 
 
 State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki took issue with Yemen’s assertion that the U.S. move rewards terrorists and said the decision to remove Americans from the country for safety reasons speaks for itself. 
 
 At the same time, jihadists took to Web forums to celebrate the closure of the embassies, with some boasting that doing so was a “nightmare” for the United States, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a nonprofit organization that monitors the forums. 
 
 The burst of drone activity provides new insight into the Obama administration’s approach to counterterrorism operations. U.S. officials said the CIA and the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, which operate parallel drone campaigns in Yemen, have refrained from launching missiles for several months in part because of more restrictive targeting guidelines imposed by President Obama this year. Those new rules, however, allow for strikes to resume in response to an elevated threat. 
 
 “They have been holding fire,” said a U.S. official with access to information about the al-Qaeda threat and the drone campaign. But intercepted communications between al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is believed to be in Pakistan, and his counterpart in Yemen, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, have raised concern that the network is preparing an assault on Western targets. 
 
 “The chatter is coming from Yemen,” the official said. Embassies outside the region were closed not because they were specifically mentioned but because in Yemen and other countries, they would be prominent targets. 
 
 A few dozen U.S. Special Operations forces have been stationed in Yemen since last year to train Yemeni counterterrorism forces and to help pinpoint targets for airstrikes against al-Qaeda targets in the country. The U.S. military carries out drone strikes in Yemen from its base in Djibouti, while the CIA flies armed drones from a separate base in Saudi Arabia. 
 
 The CIA and the U.S. military have carried out 16 drone strikes in Yemen this year, according to the New America Foundation, which monitors the drone campaign. Last year, a record 54 strikes occurred. 
 
 The Pentagon said it will keep an undisclosed number of military personnel in Yemen to support the U.S. Embassy “and monitor the security situation.” U.S. military officials did not specify how many Americans were flown out of Yemen or where they were taken. 
 
 Residents in the capital reported seeing and hearing a low-flying aircraft that many believed to be a U.S. drone or some form of surveillance plane. 
 
 Raghavan reported from Nairobi. Craig Whitlock at Fort Bragg, N.C., Julie Tate in Washington and Ali Almujahed in Sanaa, Yemen, contributed to this report.
– The State Department's unusually strong warnings this week about a possible terror threat—it announced that 21 US embassies would be closed tomorrow and followed that up with a global travel alert for Americans—came after authorities intercepted communications among what the New York Times calls "senior operatives" of al-Qaeda, a rarity. And this was apparently no idle chatter: CNN reports that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was in the "final stages of planning for an unspecified attack," with particular concern about the US embassy in Yemen between today and Tuesday. The timing dovetails with the end of Ramadan. “There is a significant threat stream and we’re reacting to it,” Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells ABC News for its This Week program. He says it is “more specific” than usual, though the exact target is unspecified. “The intent is to attack Western, not just US interests." Rep. Peter King made a similar point to CNN: The information is "the most specific I've seen," he says, adding, "We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace."