Al Qaeda threat: Embassies, consulates in 19 cities to remain closed

WASHINGTON (KABC) -- A senior U.S. official told ABC News that intercepted communications by an al Qaeda affiliate indicate an upcoming attack.

This comes as nearly two dozen U.S. embassies and consulates in North Africa and the Middle East are shut after officials identified a significant threat from an al Qaeda affiliate. Sunday, the U.S. State Department announced that 19 embassies in the Mideast and Africa will remain closed through Aug. 10.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says the decision to keep the embassies and consulates closed is "not an indication of a new threat." Diplomatic facilities will remain closed in Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among other countries.

The senior official described the terrorists as saying the attack is "going to be big" and "strategically significant," meaning the target could be an embassy, an airbase, an aircraft or trains.

The official said the part that was particularly alarming was the "confidence they showed while communicating and the air of certainty." The official added that the group, the Arabian Peninsula arm of al Qaeda, appeared to even have a media plan for after the attack.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the exact target of the planned attack remains unknown.

That senior U.S. official also said there is concern that devices could be implanted inside the body of a terrorist, adding that the terrorists have the techniques to defeat detection methods. The official also said authorities were very surprised that the terror group broke "operational security," meaning they talked openly about the attack, knowing their conversations would be picked up by intercepts.

On ABC's "This Week," Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-MD, the top Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee, said the intercepted communications called for a "major attack." Ruppersberger added that the intercepted communications were from high-level officials of the al Qaeda branch.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the intercepted communications "chatter" on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Chatter means conversation among terrorists about the planning that's going on - very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11," Chambliss, R-Ga., said.

"This is the most serious threat that I've seen in the last several years," he added.

Rep. Pete King, who leads the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, said the threat included specific dates but not locations.

"The threat was specific as to how enormous it was going to be and also that certain dates were given," King, R-N.Y., said on ABC.

On Friday, the Obama administration announced the weekend closures of 22 embassies and consulates and the State Department announced a global travel alert.

The warning urged American travelers to take extra precautions overseas, citing potential dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists. It noted that previous terrorist attacks have centered on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats. It suggested travelers sign up for State Department alerts and register with U.S. consulates in the countries they visit. The alert expires on Aug. 31.

The statement said that al Qaeda or its allies might target either U.S. government or private American interests.

The intelligence intercepts also prompted Britain, Germany and France to close their embassies in Yemen on Sunday and Monday. British authorities said some embassy staff in Yemen had been withdrawn "due to security concerns."

Canada also announced it was closing its embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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