Interpol suspects al-Qaeda of being involved in several prison breakouts, especially in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan, and released Saturday a global security alert asking for increased vigilance in all member states of the International Criminal Police Organization.
“With suspected al-Qaida involvement in several of the breakouts which led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists and other criminals, the Interpol alert requests the organisation’s 190 member countries’ assistance in order to determine whether any of these recent events are co-ordinated or linked,” Interpol said.
It has also urged its members to alert other member states if a fugitive is located terrorist, which could prevent another terrorist attack: “Interpol is asking its member countries to closely follow and swiftly process any information linked to these events and the escaped prisoners. They are also requested to alert the relevant member country and Interpol general secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent another terrorist attack.”
Interpol notes that August is the anniversary date for several of the violent terrorist attacks in India, Russia and Indonesia. This week also marks the 15th anniversary of the attack against U.S. in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam when 200 people, mostly Africans, were killed, and another 4,000 were injured. On August 7 1998, at Nairobi in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, within 10 minutes two terrorist attacks hit American targets.
Interpol notes that Washington also issued a similar alert following information suggesting that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to organize terrorist attacks in August, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.
United States announced that it will close for security reasons 20 embassies on Sunday, a measure also adopted by London, Berlin and Paris.
There is a global warning issued for U.S. citizens: “Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August.”
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