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The Zacarias Moussaoui Case
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President Bush Lowers Alert Level to Yellow
Two weeks after putting the nation on high alert for a potential terrorist attack, President Bush lowered the alert level to code yellow -- an "elevated level of risk"-- on Tuesday due to what officials called disruptions in the al-Qaida terrorist network.

"All these factors, intelligence, recent arrests and the passing of the Sept. 11 period allowed the president late this morning to make the decision to lower the threat," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said.

The alert level rose to orange on the eve of the Sept. 11 attack anniversary two weeks ago after U.S. intelligence warned that terrorists operating in several South Asian countries and linked to al-Qaida hoped to explode car bombs or launch other attacks on U.S. facilities abroad.

Officials stressed that Americans should stay vigilant, because, Fleischer said, the nation "remains on alert." (9/24/02)

U.S. Raises Threat Level to "High"
Following the heightened terror alert status, two experts assess the current state of the al-Qaida terror network and its potential threat to the U.S.

Update: Citing new and significant intelligence from several sources, the U.S. increased its threat level status to "high" -- the second-highest state on the government's five-stage Homeland Security Advisory System. (9/10/02)

RealAudio: Attorney General Ashcroft and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge announce the terror alert status change. (9/10/02)

RealAudio: President Bush addresses officials at the Afghan embassy and then responds to reporters' questions on the U.S. terror alert status. (9/10/02)

FBI Warns of Unconfirmed Sept. 11 Threats
Update: The FBI is warning local police and U.S. banking, utility and transportation officials nationwide to be on alert after receiving a barrage of threats, with some mentioning New York, Washington and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

A bulletin from the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center said the bureau had received "a large volume of threats of undetermined reliability," but added the FBI has has "no information indicating a specific threat" to any of the commemorative events scheduled Wednesday.

The statement says law enforcement and other groups should exercise a "heightened awareness" around several key events, including the Sept. 11 anniversary, United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on Sept. 10 to 20 and the International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington from Sept. 25 to 29.

The FBI last week reportedly sent a message over a private law enforcement bulletin system advising a state of alert on Sept. 11, the Associated Press reports. (9/9/02)

Germany Arrests Two Suspected of Planning Sept. 11-Related Attack
Update: German security officials announced Friday they arrested two people -- a Turkish national linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and his American fiancee -- suspected of planning to strike a U.S. military base on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Authorities said the couple had 287 pounds of chemicals and five pipe bombs with them when they were arrested Thursday in an apartment in Walldorf, about six miles from the U.S. Army's European headquarters in Heidelberg.

"We suspect that they intended to mount a bomb attack against [U.S.] Military installations and the city of Heidelberg,'' chief law enforcement officer Thomas Schaeuble said. He had no further comment on the evidence or the alleged terror plot.

Schaeuble described the 25-year-old Turkish national as "a strict Muslim who hates Americans and Jews." The man worked at chemical warehouse in a nearby town.

His 23-year-old fiancee worked at a supermarket at a U.S. installation in Heidelberg, where some 16,000 American soldiers, family members and civilian workers are stationed. (9/6/02)

Six Arrested in US Terror Probe
Update: US authorities charged a Seattle man with conspiring to help al-Qaida set up a training camp in rural Oregon and providing the terror network with materials and support. The indictment came hours after a judge in Detroit indicted five accused members of a terrorist "sleeper cell." (8/28/02)

German Authorities Charge Alleged Sept. 11 Accomplice
Update: German officials on Wednesday filed federal charges against Mounir El Motassadeq, the only Sept. 11 suspect in custody in Germany. (8/28/02)

FBI Seeks Suspected Hijacking Associate
Update: The FBI has issued a worldwide alert for information on Saud al-Rasheed, a 21-year-old Saudi man thought to be an associate of the Sept. 11 hijackers. On its Web site, the FBI describes al-Rasheed as "armed and dangerous." His whereabouts are unknown, although he is not thought to be in the United States.

According to FBI spokesman Bill Carter, the Bureau recently reviewed materials related to the hijackers and discovered al-Rasheed's photograph among them. Also included among the documents was an image of a Saudi passport issued to al-Rasheed on May 29, 2000.

The discovery was made Aug. 15 in a review of "materials previously recovered during the war on terrorism," the statement said. Carter did not say where the evidence had been discovered or how long it had been in the government's possession.

The FBI said authorities wish to interview al-Rasheed because he may be able to provide valuable information about the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. (8/21/02)

Trial of September 11th Conspirator Delayed Until January
Update: A federal judge ruled Friday to delay the trial of accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui for more than three months.

Testimony in the trial was set to begin mid-October, but will now start on Jan. 6 of next year. (8/16/02)

More on the Moussaoui Case

Judge Rules Not to Release Names of Sept. 11 Detainees
Update: A federal judge on Thursday granted a Bush administration request to not immediately reveal the names of more than one thousand suspects that have been detained in the Sept. 11 terror investigation. (8/15/02)

Court Rules the U.S. Must Reveal Detainee Identities
Two legal experts discuss whether the US Justice Dept. should be forced to reveal detainees' identities. (8/5/02)

Update: A federal judge ruled Friday the US Justice Department has 15 days to disclose the names of people detained during the government's investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (8/2/02)

More on the Sept. 11 Investigation

John Walker Lindh Pleads Guilty to Charges of Helping Taliban
Update: Sparing himself life in prison, "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleaded guilty to charges of fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan and carrying explosives. The 21-year-old Californian will now be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. (7/15/02)

Lead negotiators Paul McNulty, US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, and John Walker Lindh's lawyer, defense attorney James Brosnahan discuss the case. (7/15/02)

More on the John Walker Lindh Case