U.S. intelligence agencies warn of possible al Qaeda attack Monday

Al Qaeda may be planning attacks, according to intelligence.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

American intelligence agencies are seriously assessing the credibility of a potential terror threat, government sources told CBS in a report published Friday. The information available so far indicates that al Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks, may be planning a strike in New York, Texas, or Virginia.

Though federal law enforcement agents are investigating, they emphasized to CBS that this report is by no means confirmed and Monday may well pass without incident.

"The counterterrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States," the FBI said in a vague statement responding to the news Friday. "The FBI, working with our federal, state and local counterparts, shares and assesses intelligence on a daily basis and will continue to work closely with law enforcement and intelligence community partners to identify and disrupt any potential threat to public safety." The Department of Homeland Security ignored a request for further comment from Reuters.

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Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.