WASHINGTON — Vacation season just turned into terror season.
The State Department yesterday issued a worldwide travel alert, warning that al Qaeda may be planning attacks that target “subway and rail systems, as well as aviation and maritime services.”
The alert, which doesn’t expire until Aug. 31, indicated the threat of a terror strike was especially strong in the Middle East and North Africa.
“Current information suggests that al Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August,” the State Department warned.
“US citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling.”
The State Department routinely issues “Worldwide Caution” recommendations for Americans abroad, , but the worldwide alert is much more serious.
“It’s my understanding that it is al-Qaeda-linked, all right,” Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN.
The scope and severity of the alert called into question President Obama’s claims to have turned the tide against al Qaeda. The timing of the alert also cast a shadow over Obama’s birthday plans. The president turns 52 on Aug. 4, the same day Iran inaugurates its new president, Hassan Rowhani.
Officials said there was no indication the potential plots were linked to either event.
The warning stemmed from the same intelligence about pending al Qaeda attacks that prompted the United States to announce its embassies and consulates that would normally be open Sunday would be closed in countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
Sunday is considered a work day in Muslim countries.
The terrorist “chitchat” picked up by US intelligence didn’t pinpoint the time or location of a planned attack. But the information was specific enough to warrant the sweeping global alert, officials said.
“You get chitchat all the time, but this got to another level,” said Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“When you have a threat and you think it’s serious, you have to put it out.”
The State Department said its missions would be closed Sunday in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The last time the United States issued a worldwide alert was prior to last year’s anniversary of 9/11.
Despite the warning, a terror attack that day on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.