US extends embassy closures over security concerns

Originally published on August 5, 2013

The United States said it would keep a number of embassies in the Middle East and Africa closed for up to a week due to an al Qaeda threat lawmakers have called the most serious in years, according to a Reuters report.

The State Department announced that 19 embassies and consulates would be closed until Saturday, citing growing threats from an al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen.

Britain, France and Germany followed suit and also closed their embassies in Yemen's capital, Sanaa for security reasons.

According to U.S. officials, Yemen is of particularly concern and the government there is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come," according to a senior U.S. security official cited by CNN.

Several U.S. officials suggested increased "chatter" among senior al Qaeda operatives and hinted at the planning of a possible attack.

The intelligence was gathered in part by an NSA surveillance program that electronically collects communications, known as intercepts, on cell phones and emails.

Increased security was on display outside Western embassies in Sanaa on Sunday following the U.S. warning.

"There is a high level of coordination with the American side, and these measures have been taken due to fears of attacks by al Qaeda," said a Yemeni security official cited by Reuters.

Vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Saxby Chambliss, said the chatter was "very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11", while member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter King called the information "the most specific I've seen."

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