The international policing agency is urging countries around the world to show “increased vigilance,” following prison breakouts over the past month in nine countries, including Iraq, Libya and Pakistan.
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Following a series of suspected al-Qaida-linked prison breaks in which hundreds, and possibly thousands of terrorists have escaped, Interpol has issued a global security alert.
In a statement issued from the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, the international police agency said:
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 organization’s 190 member countries’ assistance in order to determine whether any of these recent events are coordinated or linked.
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.
This warning comes a day after the US state department issued a global travel warning to American citizens and closed over 20 of it’s embassies and consulates based on an “unspecified threat” that officials said was “linked to al-Qaida and focused on the Middle East and Central Asia.”
Britain will also be closing its own embassy in Yemen for at least two days based on “increased security concerns.” Although the nature of the threat leading to the decision to close the British embassy in Yemen has not been specified, authorities have described it as a “precautionary measure.” British citizens have been warned not to travel to Yemen at this time, and those already in the country are being advised to leave immediately.
Photo: AP File/Patrick Gardin
What’s most alarming to me is that these guys are being very open with their discussions in that it appears they know they’re being watched/listened to and don’t care. Quick thought, with the embassies closed, where to Americans go for help?