Al Qaeda almost ready to attack US: Ashcroft

The United States has "credible intelligence" that al Qaeda is almost ready to launch an attack in the United States this summer, Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Wednesday.

"Credible intelligence from multiple sources indicates that al Qaeda plans to attempt an attack on the United States in the next few months," Ashcroft told a Justice Department news conference.

The intelligence, together with recent public statements attributed to al Qaeda, suggests that "it is almost ready to attack the United States," he said.

After the March 11th attack in Madrid, Spain, he said, an al Qaeda spokesman announced that 90 percent of the arrangements for an attack in the United States were complete.

Ashcroft listed several upcoming events over the next few months which he said may become attractive targets for such an al Qaeda attack, which include next month's G-8 summit in Georgia, the Democratic Party convention in Boston in July and the Republican Party convention in late August in New York City.

Ashcroft also issued a warning about seven al Qaeda suspects who could be involved in an attack plot and "present a clear and present danger to America."

Enlarged photos of the seven suspects, whom the FBI has been pursuing for months, were shown to reporters at the press conference.

FBI Director Robert Mueller also cited a heightened threat to US interests around the world at the press conference, but he said the authorities did not know by far "what form the threat might take."

"We are not aware of details of a plan," Ashcroft replied when pressed for specifics.

Appearing on TV programs Wednesday morning, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said the government continues to get "credible" intelligence indicating a potential attack or attacks in the United States this summer.

"During the past couple of months, we continue to get what we consider to be general credible reporting of a potential attack orattacks in the United States," Ridge told CBS's "Early Show."

The sudden warning came after polls showed falling public approval ratings for President George W. Bush, and immediately draws people's attention to terrorism, the central issue of his re-election campaign, from other subjects such as Iraq and the scandal of abusing Iraqi prisoners by American troops.

Several poll released on Monday found public approval ratings for the president have slipped as most Americans disapprove of hishandling of Iraq when the scheduled June 30 power transfer approaches, and a rise of support for Democratic Senator John Kerry, Bush's major rival in his re-election bid.

In an ABC/Washington Post poll, 50 percent of those surveyed disapproved of Bush's performance, and 58 percent Kerry and Bush would have 49 percent and 47 percent of the supportrespectively in a two-way race.

Source: Xinhua