Al-Qaida threat keeps diplomatic sites closed

U.S. diplomatic posts across the Middle East and in Muslim countries will remain closed into the week out of continued concern over threats by al-Qaida.

The State Department said Sunday it would extend the closures -- originally slated for one day -- into next weekend out of "an abundance of caution."

A number of the 19 embassies, consulates and other posts affected by the closure were already slated to shutter in deference to the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said.

"This is not an indication of a new threat stream, merely an indication of our commitment to exercise caution and take appropriate steps to protect our employees, including local employees and visitors to our facilities," Psaki said.

Posts in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa, Tripoli, Antananarivo, Bujumbura, Djibouti, Khartoum, Kigali, and Port Louis will close for normal operation through Saturday.

Dhaka, Algiers, Nouakchott, Kabul, Herat, Mazar el Sharif, Baghdad, Basrah, and Erbil posts are normally open Sunday, and are authorized to reopen next Monday.

Members of Congress briefed on classified information said the threats were more specific and more serious than any in recent years.

"This is the most serious threat that I've seen in the last several years," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“The one thing we can talk about is the fact that there’s been an awful lot of chatter out there" that he said was “very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11.”

His counterpart in the House, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y, agreed.

“The threat was specific as to how enormous it was going to be and also that certain dates were given,” King said. “Al Qaeda is in many ways stronger than it was before 9/11, because it’s mutated and it spread and it can come at us from different directions.”