The terror threat that prompted the State Department to close 22 U.S. embassies and consulates across the Muslim world this past Sunday has left 19 of those diplomatic posts closed through the rest of this week.
“The CIA and the National Security Agency had been secretly monitoring intelligence tips for weeks,” reports CNN’s Barbara Starr.
“There were indications of a possible terrorist attack in Yemen, a stronghold of one of Al Qaeda's deadliest affiliates.”
Washington sprang to action when a crucial message was recently intercepted involving communications among senior al Qaeda operatives.
U.S. officials then issued a worldwide travel warning in addition to closing embassies across the Middle East and North Africa as a precaution.
Starr reports, “Fifteen hundred Marines on board three Navy warships in the Red Sea will now remain off the coast of Yemen ready to react.”
Follow along at CNN.com for emerging details in the story.
"Well, looks like we're going to have to justify this whole NSA surveillance thing. Hmmm... how about a little false flag terror? That worked so well with the Patriot Act."