Government homeland security advisory system has been raised from elevated (yellow) to threat condition high…

Original warning text

                        THREAT CONDITION LEVEL HIGH (ORANGE).
1. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY SYSTEM HAS BEEN
   RAISED FROM ELEVATED (YELLOW) TO THREAT CONDITION HIGH (ORANGE).
   THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION HAS RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
   TRANSPORTATION'S OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, REGARDING INCREASED
   THREAT POSSIBILITIES TO U.S. FACILITIES. THIS CONDITION SIGNIFIES A HIGH
   RISK OF TERRORIST ATTACK.  AS A RESULT, THIS ADVISORY IS ISSUED TO THE
   U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY THAT A HEIGHTENED STATE OF SECURITY CONCERN EXISTS.
2. THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS RECEIVED INFORMATION, BASED ON
   DEBRIEFINGS OF A SENIOR AL QAEDA OPERATIVE, OF POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACKS
   TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS ON
   THE UNITED STATES.
3. INFORMATION INDICATES THAT AL QAEDA CELLS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN
   SEVERAL SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO CONDUCT CAR BOMB AND OTHER ATTACKS
   ON U.S. FACILITIES. THESE CELLS HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATING EXPLOSIVES SINCE
   APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 2002 IN PREPARATION FOR THESE ATTACKS.
4. THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS ALSO RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT
   ONE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE PREPARING FOR A SUICIDE
   ATTACK OR ATTACKS AGAINST U.S. INTERESTS. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO SPECIFIC
   INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THESE ATTACKS MIGHT OCCUR.
5. THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST LIKELY
   TARGETS OF AL QAEDA ATTACKS ARE THE TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY SECTORS AND
   FACILITIES OR GATHERINGS THAT WOULD BE RECOGNIZED WORLDWIDE AS SYMBOLS OF
   AMERICAN POWER OR SECURITY. EXAMPLES OF SUCH SYMBOLS ARE U.S. MILITARY
   FACILITIES, U.S. EMBASSIES AND NATIONAL MONUMENTS.
6. U.S. INTELLIGENCE HAS CONCLUDED THAT LOWER-LEVEL AL QAEDA OPERATIVES
   MAY VIEW THE SEPTEMBER 11 ANNIVERSARY TIME PERIOD AS A SUITABLE
   TIME TO LASH OUT IN EVEN SMALL STRIKES TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR
   WORLDWIDE PRESENCE AND RESOLVE. ACCORDINGLY, WIDELY DISPERSED,
   UNSOPHISTICATED STRIKES ARE POSSIBLE.
7. THE SPECIFICITY OF SOME OF THIS INFORMATION HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE
   DECISION TO CLOSE FOUR U.S. EMBASSIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND TO ELEVATE OUR
   SECURITY AT ALL OVERSEAS DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY FACILITIES.
8. THE INCREASED THREAT LEVEL IS BASED ON SPECIFIC INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED
   AND ANALYZED BY THE FULL INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. THIS INFORMATION
   HAS BEEN CORROBORATED BY MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES.
9. LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE DISCERNED SIMILAR
   PATTERNS OF TERRORIST THREAT REPORTING OVERSEAS. IN ADDITION, OTHER
   RECENT EVENTS PARALLEL TERRORIST ACTIVITY THAT OCCURRED IN THE WEEKS
   PRIOR TO LAST YEAR'S ATTACKS.
10. ADDITIONALLY, DIRECTLY PRECEDING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF
    SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OBSERVED A SIMILAR
    PATTERN OF THREAT REPORTING OVERSEAS, WHICH WERE COUPLED WITH A LACK OF
    ANY SPECIFIC THREATS SUGGESTING ATTACK IN THE UNITED STATES.
11. MARITIME INDUSTRY OPERATORS ARE URGED TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE
    PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT CORRESPOND TO THREAT CONDITION ORANGE UNDER
    THE HSAS.  OFFICIALS AT TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES SHOULD MAINTAIN HIGH
    LEVELS OF SECURITY AND REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES OR PERSONS.  NECESSARY
    SECURITY EFFORTS SHOULD BE COORDINATED WITH THE ARMED FORCES OR
    LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.  PUBLIC EVENTS SHOULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS.
    AN ALTERNATE WORK SITE OR WORKFORCE DISPERSAL MAY BE CONSIDERED.
    ACCESS TO FACILITIES SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY.
12. U.S. DOT REMINDS THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY TO REPORT INFORMATION
    CONCERNING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO THEIR LOCAL FBI OFFICE THROUGH THE
    FBI WEBSITE HTTP:WWW.FBI.GOV/CONTACT/FO/FO.HTM OR TO THE NATIONAL
    INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION CENTER (NIPC) AT ITS WEBSITE
    HTTP: WWW.NIPC.GOV/INCIDENT/CIRR.HTM
    http: www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm.  THE MARITIME INDUSTRY SHOULD
    CONTACT THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC) TO REPORT SUSPECTED AND
    ACTUAL TERRORIST INCIDENTS AT 800 424 8802 OR 202 267 2675.
13. U.S. MERCHANT VESSELS AND CRUISE SHIPS SHOULD BE ON A HEIGHTENED
    STATE OF SECURITY, SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE NATIONAL IMAGERY AND
    MAPPING AGENCY'S (NIMA) BROADCAST WARNINGS AND SHOULD REVIEW THE EMERGENCY
    COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES FOR ASSISTANCE IN NIMA PUBLICATION 117.
14. ALL U.S. FLAG SHIPS REQUIRED BY REGULATION TO FILE AMVER POSITION
    REPORTS AND OPERATING IN THE NORTH ARABIAN SEA, GULF OF OMAN, PERSIAN GULF,
    GULF OF ADEN, RED SEA AND THE SUEZ CANAL ARE REMINDED TO FILE AMVER
    POSITION REPORTS EVERY 24 HOURS VICE EVERY 48 HOURS.
15. ALL U.S. FLAG OPERATORS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD THIS ADVISORY TO
    THEIR SHIPS BY THE MOST EXPEDIENT MEANS.  THIS ADVISORY WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BE
    PUBLISHED IN THE "WEEKLY NOTICE TO MARINERS" AND MARAD INTERNET WEB SITE
    HTTP:WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV, http:www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm>/HEADLINES/.
16. ALL U.S. FLAG OPERATORS ARE ADVISED THAT THEY CAN CONTACT THE
    MARITIME ADMINISTRATION FOR INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE REGARDING VESSEL
    OPERATIONS ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE SECURITY CONCERNS. FOR FURTHER
    INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ADVISORY CONTACT THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION,
    OFFICE OF SHIP OPERATIONS, CODE MAR-613, ROOM 2123, 400 7TH STREET SW,
    WASHINGTON, DC 20590; PHONE: 202 366 5735 OR BY E-MAIL TO [email protected].
17. THE HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY SYSTEM HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO THREAT
    CONDITION ORANGE.
18. CANCEL THIS MSG 23 OCT.