WASHINGTON: The United States closed 14 of its embassies and consulates in different parts of the world on Sept. 11 following information that overseas American targets could be attacked by Al Qaeda to coincide with the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

U.S. embassies and consulates in Bahrain, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malawi, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam were closed to the public and were staffed only by essential personnel due to specific and credible threats that they might be the target of terror attacks.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters on Sept. 10: “We continue to receive credible indications that extremist groups and individuals are planning additional terrorist actions against U.S. interests.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the “U.S. government had concluded, based on analysis and specific intelligence” that the likelihood of a terror attack on American interests in Southeast Asia was high. He also announced that the nationwide threat level had been stepped up from “yellow” to “orange,” reflecting a “high risk of terrorist attacks.”