THERE is no credible terror threat against the United States linked to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but the nation is under “heightened” vigilance, a top security official says.
American counter-terrorism efforts underwent a thorough overhaul after September 11, 2001, when nearly 3000 people were killed in the worst terror strikes on US soil.
While the anniversary is seen as a prime moment for extremist groups to attempt to attack again, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said “there is no specific or credible intelligence that al-Qaeda or its affiliates are plotting attacks in the United States to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of 9/11”.
But, she added: “We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, and security measures are in place to detect and prevent plots against the United States should they emerge.”
As the country prepares to mark the sombre anniversary, “the safety and security of the American public remains our highest priority”, Napolitano said in a statement.
“While threats remain, our nation is stronger than it was on 9/11, more prepared to confront evolving threats, and more resilient than ever before.”
Some US politicians have been outspoken about security gaps that remain.
And members of the 9/11 commission tasked to make sure such an attack never happens again, now reformed as an implementation group, say that while the nation is less vulnerable than before, key recommendations have not been heeded and holes remain in US terror defences.
US security is expected to be tight on September 11, when President Barack Obama attends ceremonies at the three sites where the terrorists struck: the ‘ground zero’ site in Manhattan where the World Trade Center stood; the Pentagon outside Washington; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a hijacked United Airlines jet crashed after passengers and crew fought back.
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