At least some of the threats that prompted US forces to go on higher states of alert in some Middle East states have been linked to Osama bin Laden, the alleged terrorist mastermind, a US defense official said Tuesday.
US forces in Bahrain and Qatar were put on the highest state of alert over the weekend, as a result of current intelligence pointing to the possibility of an imminent attack, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
US forces at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey also were put on a higher state of alert -- but not the highest -- in response to the new intelligence, the official said.
"We have no definite data on the source of the threat," the defense official told AFP. "The source of the threat is vague in terms of the specificity of identities in some places. In others it has been related to Osama bin Laden." – WASHINGTON (AFP)
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