US warns of Al-Qaeda retaliation for Osama's death
"The Intelligence Community (IC) assesses the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden could result in retaliatory attacks in the Homeland and against US and Western interests overseas," said the US Department of Homeland Security.
The department, in a bulletin for law enforcement officials that was obtained by AFP, said attacks could originate among core Al-Qaeda members in Pakistan's remote tribal areas, among the group's overseas affiliates, or individuals who are not formal
members but who identify with the extremist network.
"Overseas, the strongest reaction is expected to be in South Asia but will likely occur to differing degrees worldwide, including Europe," warned the department, which was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"Other high-risk regions include those where Al-Qaeda's affiliates and allies have operational strongholds, including the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia," it said in the message.
"The IC lacks current insight into Al-Qaeda's selection of Homeland targets, but as seen in previous Al-Qaeda core plotting symbolic, economic, and transportation targets could be at risk," the department warned.
"Small-arms attacks against soft targets, which could be perceived as more achievable than other types of attacks, cannot be ruled out," it said, noting it had "no indications of advanced Al-Qaeda core plotting efforts" on US soil.
But Osama's death may lead Al-Qaeda operatives to "accelerate" planning for attacks in the United States and "may provide justification for radicalised individuals in the United States to rapidly mobilise for attacks here."
"Although soft targets will - as they have in the past - remain attractive to home-grown extremists, official targets such as government installations, military personnel and facilities, and senior government officials may gain greater prominence," the statement said.
The message, labelled for official use only, was obtained by AFP shortly after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she lacked the specific or credible intelligence needed to issue a new terrorism alert.
"We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, but the Department of Homeland Security does not intend to issue an NTAS alert at this time," Napolitano said, referring to the US National Terrorism Advisory System.
"I have been clear since announcing NTAS in January that we will only issue alerts when we have specific or credible information to convey to the American public," she said in a statement.
US officials were worriedly watching for possible retaliation after special forces killed the Saudi-born militant in a hideout in Pakistan, nearly 10 years after the September 11th attacks on the United States.
CIA director Leon Panetta warned on Monday that terrorist groups "almost certainly" will try to avenge Osama bin Laden, the 9/11 mastermind killed in a raid in Pakistan by US commandos.
"The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must - and will - remain vigilant and resolute," he said.
Napolitano said US officials "will continue to respond appropriately to protect the American people from an evolving threat picture both in the coming days and beyond."
Napolitano had unveiled the NTAS in late April to replace the much-criticised colour-coded US terrorism alert system, promising to provide more specific information and tell Americans what to look out for.
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