Terror Attack Threat Level is Lowered to Yellow

The U.S. government lowered its terror threat level back to yellow, or “elevated,” on Thursday but warned there was significant risk of an attack on U.S. soil should Americans lower their guard. The decision came 20 days after the color-coded threat level had been raised to orange, the second-highest level on the five-point scale, after a number of intelligence reports suggested a “high” risk of terrorist attacks. “Today’s decision to lower the threat level was based on a careful review of how this specific intelligence has evolved and progressed over the past three weeks as well as counter-terrorism actions we have taken to address specific aspects of the threat situation,” Attorney General John Ashcroft and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said. The alert levels have become controversial and sometimes the target of ridicule, with critics saying they cause confusion, have trigged unnecessary fear and panic and do little to inform the public. In a statement, Ashcroft and Ridge said one reason that the level was being downgraded was because the period around the Muslim haj pilgrimage season, which ended Feb. 13, was over. In raising the alert, U.S. officials cited an increased likelihood that Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, which has been blamed by Washington for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, may attempt to attack Americans in the United States or abroad near the end of the haj. The risk of attack remains. Full Story