The current terror alert which has prompted the closure of several US embassies is due to intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures. According to US media sources the man who replaced Osama bin Laden as head of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri was electronically picked up ordering the leader of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen to carry out an unspecified but imminent attack. White House spokesman Jay Carney refused to divulge further details: "I'm not in a position to discuss specific intelligence but we believe this threat is significant and we are taking it seriously for that reason and are taking the actions that the State Department has announced out of an abundance of caution." In the absence of any mention of a target, 19 US diplomatic missions are remaining closed in the Middle East and North Africa for the rest of this week along with several European embassies. A wider travel warning for Americans has also been issued.

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