US to lower terror alert
09/01/2004 - 14:40:01The US terror alert level will be lowered one step, to yellow, today, a Homeland Security official said.
The move suggests the immediate threat of attacks on US targets has abated.
Homeland Security officials were to announce the change later at a news conference, an agency official said.
The official offered no reason for the expected change.
US airports and airlines are to keep their high alert status.
In the past, such a drop in the terror alert level has been based on continuous reviews of existing terrorism intelligence.
Even after the alert status has been lowered, however, some of the security precautions undertaken during the period when the United States was at orange alert will remain in effect, the official said.
No details were provided.
The level was raised to orange, or the second-highest level, on December 21.
The highest alert status is red.
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