US Lowers Terror Alert Level

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 25, 2002

US Lowers Terror Alert Level

Two weeks after putting the nation on high alert, the US government Tuesday lowered the nationwide terror alert level to code yellow from orange, administration officials said.

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Two weeks after putting the nation on high alert, the US government Tuesday lowered the nationwide terror alert level to code yellow from orange, administration officials said.

President George W. Bush, after meeting with his advisers, decided to lower the alert back to code yellow because of disruptions in the al-Qaida terrorist network, the officials said.

According to Attorney General John Ashcroft and White House Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, the decision was "based on areview of intelligence and an assessment of threats by the intelligence community, as well as the passing of the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the disruption of potential terrorist operations in the United States and abroad."

Ramzi Binalshibh, one of the suspected planners of the Sept. 11terrorist attacks, was recently arrested in Pakistan.

The US authorities recently also arrested six suspected membersof a terrorism cell in New York and detained a Sudanese pilot who was suspected of plotting to fly a plane into a U.S. target.

"These actions have disrupted terrorist operations by neutralizing certain senior al Qaeda leadership and removing otherterrorist planners and operatives," Ashcroft and Ridge said in a joint statement.

However, "the lowering of the threat level is not a signal to government, law enforcement or citizens that the danger of a terrorist attack is passed," the statement warned.

"Detained al Qaeda operatives have informed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials that al Qaeda will wait until it believes Americans are less vigilant and less prepared before it will strike again," the statement said.

The White House raised the alert level to orange, the second-highest level singling "high risk" of a terrorist attack, in connection with the Sept. 11 anniversary two weeks ago.

The warning system has five levels, starting with green -- the lowest level -- and followed by blue, yellow, orange and red. Eachcode triggers specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments.

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