'HOLIDAY SEASON' ATTACKS POSSIBLE
“These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond,” he said. “These strategic indicators, including al-Qaida’s continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept 11.”

A senior intelligence official said last week that analysts were particularly concerned about the threat of Sept. 11-style attacks, in which terrorists would use hijacked airliners as weapons.
Ridge said that “recent reporting reiterates that al-Qaida continues to consider using aircraft as a weapon. They are evaluating procedures both here and abroad to find gaps in our security posture that can be exploited.”

He also sought to reassure Americans about the warning. “We have not raised the threat level in this country for six months, but we have raised it before. And as before, Americans can be assured that we know what we must do and we are doing it,” Ridge said.