US embassy in Algiers told of Qaeda threat
2011-09-16 22:14
Washington - The US embassy in Algiers was informed about a threat from al-Qaeda and alerted potential targets to the threat, the state department said on Friday.
"The US embassy in Algiers received threat information," and moved "to alert potential targets to the threat," the State Department said when asked about reports al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb planned attacks in the North Africa region.
"While we and our international partners have put considerable pressure on al-Qaeda and have degraded much of the group's abilities... we continue to face a significant terrorist threat from al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and its adherents," it said in a statement.
"We continue to work very closely with our key partners on the threat from international terrorism, including the role that al-Qaeda continues to play," it said.
"Information is routinely shared between the US and our partners in order to disrupt terrorist plotting, identify and take action against potential operatives, and strengthen our defenses against potential threats," it added.
"The government of Algeria has long been one of our strongest partners in this fight," it said.
The Algerian newspaper El Khabar, citing a message from US security services, said al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb prepared to carry out missile attacks against foreign oil firms in the Sahel and in the North Africa region.
The electronic message was received by US embassies in the region, El Khabar reported on Thursday.