UPDATE: 3:30 PM EST
According to NewsBreaker, an intercept of communication between head of al Qaeda in Pakistan & affiliate in Yemen led to shutdown of US embassies.
More details to follow.
—–
In the wake of a possible militant threat last week, the U.S. says they will keep a number of embassies closed in the Middle East and North Africa until Saturday.
On Sunday, 21 U.S. embassies and consulates closed in what the state department in Washington is calling “an abundance of caution,” not a reaction to a new threat.
According to BBC News:
The decision to close the embassies comes as the US government battles to defend recently disclosed surveillance programmes that have stirred deep privacy concerns.
While details of the threats are unspecified, the BBC’s David Willis, in Washington, says members of Congress who have been briefed about the intelligence seem to agree it amounts to one of the most serious in recent years – all pointing to the possibility of a major attack, possibly to coincide with the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week.
Last week, the State Department issued a global travel alert, which will be in force until the end of August. The department said the possibility for an al-Qaeda-inspired attack was strong in the Middle East and North Africa.
Let’s hope that things stay peaceful in the coming weeks.
SOURCE: BBC
