Major Garrett: A look at new warning on terrorism

CNN's Major Garrett

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new threat has been leveled against U.S. interests, leading Attorney General John Ashcroft to issue another warning, asking law enforcement agencies to be on the "highest alert."

CNN's Major Garrett is in Washington and filed the following report on the latest development:

GARRETT: Law enforcement agencies throughout the United States -- from the smallest county sheriff's department to the largest metropolitan police force -- are on high alert. But they're not the only ones. Even security agents at shopping malls, those people who protect water facilities, energy plants, power companies -- they're all on high alert.

Why? Because the federal government issued late Monday another warning of a terrorist attack within the next week. There was no specificity on the type of attack or where -- just a timeline. Attorney General John Ashcroft grimly told reporters exactly why this threat was issued. Here's what he said:

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ASHCROFT: The administration has concluded, based on information developed, that there may be additional terrorist attacks against the United States and against United States interests over the next week. The administration views this information as credible, but unfortunately it does not contain specific information as to the type of attack or specific targets.

GARRETT: Last week, Vice President Dick Cheney talked to the country about a new normalcy -- being ready, being prepared, being on alert almost every single day for the foreseeable future as terrorist attacks continue to be a part of what Americans have to expect as their daily lives. This new warning -- the second since September 11 -- only underscores the level of threat and high alert that all Americans have to be on.

CNN: Is there any difference between the first threat announced October 11 and this one?

GARRETT: The only difference is the duration of time when the terrorist threat exists. That first one on October 11 was over a couple of days, yet even after two or three days lapsed, U.S. officials said, "We remain on a high level of alert."

This one is for a defined period of time -- about one week, U.S. officials say. But there's no more specificity of the type of attack or the location. The fact of the matter is, every single day when the president sits down for his FBI and intelligence briefing, he looks at what is called a threat matrix. There are threats every single day on that matrix. Some days they reach a level of gravity and importance where the president believes it is necessary to again alert the nation that it must remain at the highest level of alert. That was done Monday, and that's the situation we find ourselves in Tuesday morning.