The U.S. government announced a terror alert and closed embassies in 22 countries last week after intercepting a conference call between al Qaeda leaders : “This was like a meeting of the Legion of Doom,” said one U.S. intelligence officer

Saturday, August 10, 2013

The U.S. government announced a terror alert and closed embassies in 22 countries last week after intercepting a conference call between al Qaeda leaders : “This was like a meeting of the Legion of Doom,” said one U.S. intelligence officer

Business Insider

REPORT: Embassy Scare Came From A 'Legion Of Doom' Conference Call Of Al Qaeda Affiliates

Michael Kelley Aug. 7, 2013, 8:27 AM 5,153 22

The U.S. government announced a terror alert and closed embassies in 22 countries last week after intercepting a conference call between al Qaeda senior leadership in Pakistan and representatives more than 20 al Qaeda operatives throughout the region, three U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence told Eli Lake and Josh Rogin of The Daily Beast.
“This was like a meeting of the Legion of Doom,” one U.S. intelligence officer told the Beast, in reference referring to the coalition of villains featured in the cartoon Super Friends. “All you need to do is look at that list of places we shut down to get a sense of who was on the phone call.”

Fox News

Officials said that al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and various al Qaeda leaders — including representatives from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Nigeria’s Boko Haram, the Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AQ in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, and AQ in Uzbekistan — vaguely discussed plans for a pending attack and "mentioned that a team or teams were already in place for such an attack," according to the Beast.
On Tuesday Richard Engel of NBC News, citing sources, reported that the plot could have been in the “aspirational stages.”

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18 of 19 closed U.S. embassies, consulates to reopen

Updated 10:04 PM ET
WASHINGTON The State Department says that 18 of the 19 U.S. embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa that have been closed due to a terrorist threat will reopen on Sunday.
Officials say the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, will remain closed.

Pakistani security personnel are pictured outside the US consulate in Lahore on August 5, 2013. The United States said that 19 of its embassies and consulates in the Mideast and Africa would be closed through August 10 over terror fears.

/ Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

A statement issued Friday didn't cite a reason for resuming regular business operations at the 18 diplomatic missions.

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U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan evacuated due to terror threat

Nineteen outposts had been closed to the public since last Sunday. Most American employees at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen were ordered to leave the country on Tuesday because of threat information.
An intercepted message between al Qaeda officials about plans for a major terror attack triggered the closures.
A separate threat led to the closure Thursday of the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan. It remains closed.

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Terror alert shows evolution of al Qaeda

Late Friday, the State Dept. issued this statement:
"On Sunday, August 11, the Department of State will re-open 18 of the 19 embassies and consulates that were closed recently. Our embassy in Sanaa, Yemen will remain closed because of ongoing concerns about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks emanating from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Our consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, which closed yesterday due to a separate credible threat to that facility, will also remain closed."

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