Intel Committee Chief: Al Qaeda Threat Is “Real and Serious”

The threat of an al Qaeda attack that led to the weekend shutdown of 21 U.S. embassies and consulates in the Muslim world and a global travel warning to Americans is “real and serious," according to the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers. “The seriousness of the threat stream is a sober reminder of al Qaeda's determination and ongoing intention to commit acts of violence on Western and U.S. targets,” Rogers said. The terror group and its affiliates “may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August,” The State Department said in a statement Friday. President Obama on Saturday was updated on a potential threat coming from the Arabian Peninsula and would continue to be updated throughout the weekend, a White House official said. U.S. officials said that the threat warning is based primarily on a "significant increase in chatter from a growing number of intercepts" throughout the region.

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