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By EILEEN SULLIVAN and KIMBERLY DOZIER, Associated Press
      

WASHINGTON (AP) - Just days before the 10th anniversary of the
Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. counterterrorism officials were chasing a
credible but unconfirmed al-Qaida threat to use a car bomb on
bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington. It was the first
"active plot" timed to coincide with the somber commemoration of
the terror group's 9/11 attacks a decade ago that killed nearly
3,000 people.
     

 Counterterrorism officials were investigating the threat
throughout the night and into Friday, as police in New York and
Washington said they would increase their already stepped-up
staffing levels in light of the recent intelligence.


      Law enforcement officials were pursuing three people who may be
traveling to the U.S. or who have recently entered the country,
based on the detailed information received by the U.S. intelligence
community late Wednesday, officials said. The intelligence
suggested that al-Qaida planned to car bomb one of the two cities
that were hit 10 years ago.


      The nation's terror alert level has not changed, but raising it
was under consideration Thursday night.


      The officials described the threat to The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.


      Security has been enhanced around the country in the weeks
leading up to the 10th anniversary, a date officials have long
known could be an appealing time to attack. Law enforcement
officials have been particularly wary after information gleaned
from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan indicated that al-Qaida
had considered attacking the U.S. on this anniversary and other
important American dates. Officials have also been concerned that
terrorists would see the anniversary as an opportunity to retaliate
against the U.S. for killing bin Laden in a military raid in May.


      The FBI and Homeland Security Department issued a joint
intelligence bulletin Thursday night to law enforcement around the
country urging them to maintain increased security and be on the
lookout for suspicious activity.


      The threat came in a single piece of information and was so
specific - and came at such a time of already heightened alert -
that it could not be ignored, officials said.

      "There is specific, credible but unconfirmed threat
information," the head of the FBI's New York division, Janice
Fedarcyk, said. "As we always do before important dates like the
anniversary of 9/11, we will undoubtedly get more reporting in the
coming days."


      New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that police
there were deploying additional resources around the city but that
New Yorkers should go about their business as usual, and the city's
observance of the attacks will go on as planned.


      In Washington, law enforcement officials said they were working
12-hour days indefinitely, and Police Chief Cathy Lanier said
unattended cars parked in unusual locations risked being towed.


      Briefed on the threat information Thursday morning, President
Barack Obama directed the U.S. counterterrorism community to
redouble its efforts, a White House official said.


      As of late Thursday, there were no plans to change Obama's
travel schedule on Sunday in light of the threat, the White House
said. The president is scheduled to mark the 9/11 anniversary with
stops at New York's ground zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.
He also will deliver remarks Sunday night at a memorial concert at
the Kennedy Center in Washington.


      Law enforcement officials are checking out all of the details
included in the threat, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said.


      "No need to panic," King said. "They have not been able to
confirm it yet."


      Intelligence officials had not seen any specific or credible
threats regarding an attack around the anniversary before
Wednesday.


      Thursday morning, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
told reporters that there was "a lot of chatter" around the
anniversary of the attacks but that there was no information about
a specific threat. Napolitano had been briefed on early
interpretations of the threat that morning as intelligence
officials were still trying to determine the validity of the
information. It later became clear that the threat was specific and
credible and could not be dismissed, even though it has not been
confirmed.

      Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo, Lolita C. Baldor, Julie
Pace and Eric Tucker in Washington and Tom Hays in New York
contributed to this report.
      
---
   
      (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Gallery

Just days before the 10th anniversary of the
Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. counterterrorism officials were chasing a
credible but unconfirmed al-Qaida threat to use a car bomb on
bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington.

Terrorist threat "specific, credible," NYC mayor Bloomberg says

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