The U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was bombed on August 7, 1998

December 13, 1999
Web posted at: 9:47 p.m. EST (0247 GMT)

From Correspondent David Ensor

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials have revealed that about a dozen suspects were arrested by local authorities in the Middle East and accused of plotting to attack Christian targets in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the region over the Christmas and New Year's period.

The officials did not say in what countries last week's arrests took place because they said operations are still ongoing.

Some sources also suggest there may have been plans to hit targets in Rome.

Officials said Monday that all those arrested have been linked to the organization of Osama bin Laden, the accused terrorist mastermind of the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

One senior official told CNN that the suspects have confessed to planning two specific attacks.

VIDEO CNN's David Ensor details the arrests of the alleged terrorists. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace

Authorities said the arrests and the unfolding information about the plot were, in large part, the reason the State Department issued its worldwide caution on Saturday -- advising Americans traveling abroad soon to "avoid large crowds" and "contact the nearest U.S. embassy" for additional advice.

"We do have specific information and we're working to counter it -- the threat," said U.S. State Department spokesman James Foley. "And the information that we have does indicate that the potential attacks are related to end-of-year celebrations, during the New Year and the Ramadan period."

The last U.S State Department worldwide caution was issued on November 12, the same day that several rockets were fired at U.S. facilities in Islamabad, Pakistan. No one was injured in the attack, but officials on site now say the rockets missed causing harm by just a few feet in one case.

Sources say there are indications militant members of the Palestinian group Hamas may also be planning attacks during the upcoming holiday period.

Elite Israeli undercover troops killed two fugitive Hamas militants in a firefight in the West Bank, an Israeli army spokesman said Tuesday.

Intelligence indicated Hamas planned attacks Tuesday to mark the 12th anniversary of the group's founding, the spokesman said.

The Israeli operation was launched on the eve of Prime Minister Ehud Barak's departure for Washington, where he is to meet Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa for a U.S-brokered peace summit on Wednesday and Thursday.

Correspondent Andrea Koppel and Reuters contributed to this report.

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