Threat Level Raised to 'High'

Feb. 7 -- The government elevated the national terror alert to "high" today, amid increased signs that al Qaeda is preparing to launch a new attack and as FBI officials announced they are looking for a man with alleged terror ties within the United States.

"After conferring this morning with the Homeland Security Council, the decision has been made to increase the threat condition designation currently classified at elevated risk, to increase that threat condition designation to the high-risk category," said Attorney General John Ashcroft at a news conference with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

"This decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community," Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft said apartment buildings, hotels or other "lightly secured targets" in the United States could be vulnerable.

"Since Sept. 11, there has been evidence that al Qaeda is still determined to attack innocent Americans both here and abroad," he said.

Terror Alert Speech, Transcript 1

Transcript 2

Recent bombings of "soft" or lightly guarded targets such a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, a resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, and arrests in London that involved the deadly poison ricin indicate that al Qaeda is willing to target innocent civilians with chemical attacks, Ashcroft said.

According to the FBI's counterterrorism division, recent arrests in Europe also indicate that al Qaeda has developed at least a rudimentary ability in potential biological and chemical agents, and officials have told law enforcers to be prepared for potential attacks involving radiological weapons.

The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed today that it held calls with state and city officials, and had taken precautionary measures to prepare for possible chemical, radiological and biological attacks.

Increased intelligence also indicated Osama bin Laden's organization could be timing an attack to coincide with the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Islam's holiest site. The holy period is under way now and ends Sunday.

A source who has attended intelligence briefings told ABCNEWS that officials have listened to conversations in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq and have heard about every threat imaginable. Although they think most of the information is misinformation, intelligence community officials are concerned because a few of the sources suddenly have gone suddenly silent. This is alarming, the source said, because the same kind of sudden silence preceded the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.