US Lowers Terror Alert Level as War in Iraq Winds Down

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 17, 2003

US Lowers Terror Alert Level as War in Iraq Winds Down

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The US government Wednesday lowered the national terror alert from the second highest level to the middle level of a five-color alert system, suggesting the threat of terrorism linked to the war in Iraq has abated.

"Following a review of intelligence and an assessment of threats by the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Homeland Security Council, has made the decision to lower the threat advisory level," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a statement.

The level was reduced from "orange," meaning high risk of terrorist attacks, to "yellow," marking an elevated risk. US officials said the conclusion of major fighting in Iraq as well asseveral other factors led to the decision.

Ridge warned that the United States still faced significant threat.

"We must be vigilant and alert to the possibility that al-Qaidaand those sympathetic to their cause, as well as former Iraqi-regime state agents and affiliated organizations, may attempt to conduct attacks against the US or our interests abroad," Ridge said in the statement.

The threat level was raised to orange, the level lower only than red, on March 17, two days before the United States launched the war against Iraq. That was the third time the Bush administration had raised the terror alert since the system had been put in place early last year.

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