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A DROP in so-called 'chatter' among suspected terrorists is raising concern among United States counter-terrorism officials, who noticed a similar fall in intercepted communications prior to the Sept 11 terror attacks. US government sources told CNN that security experts are still trying to fathom the reason for the troubling ebb in recent days. While there have been several similar quiet episodes in the past, the 'chatter' continued as before even after the mid-July arrest of key Al-Qaeda suspect Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan by Pakistani security forces, which was announced last week. The fall-off in chatter comes at a sensitive time...

(CNN) -- A drop in so-called "chatter" among suspected terrorists is troubling some counterterrorism officials, who noticed a reduction in intercepted communications before the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, government sources said.

The Jihadist MutationThe Jihadist Mutation The coordinated train bombings in Madrid that killed 200 and injured roughly 1,600 have already had a greater impact on the world than any terrorist attack since 9/11, altering Europe's political structure, shaking global financial markets and unsettling the U.S. coalition in Iraq. While the only groups to have claimed responsibility say they represent al-Qaeda, and the attacks are clearly consistent with jihadist doctrine and aims, operating in al-Qaeda's name does not mean that Osama bin Laden commands or controls. For the last year, jihadist writings about Spain have focused on the outgoing Spanish government's...

Intelligence agencies are investigating a series of internet warnings, said to be issued by al-Qaeda, about major attacks on the United States. Messages posted on several Islamist websites include claims that an entire city could be destroyed. One message warns of an attack stronger than that of nuclear weapons. BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner looks at the significance of the messages. What sort of messages are being posted on websites? The vast majority of messages being posted on Arabic-language internet chartrooms consist of innocent banter, often between bored teenagers. But on certain 'jihadi' (ie extremist) sites there is a plethora...

LONDON (Reuters) - Cyber investigators are scouring the World Wide Web for clues on any future suicide bomb attacks, deploying satellites and other high-tech wizardry to hone in on suspicious Web surfing activity. Intelligence officials had warned some kind of attack would occur in Saudi Arabia before Sunday's suicide bomb blast in Riyadh after finding evidence on anonymous postings on Arabic Web sites and other forms of Internet chatter. The strike killed at least 18 people and wounded 120 others. "The Internet is a very useful open source for investigators. But as with any unattributable piece of information, tips must...

Analyists have found a significant number of posts, intercepted chats, and other data that indicates an attack is being prepared against the US, promising to equal or ecllipse the events of 9/11 and possibly involve weapons of mass destruction.Although we cannot provide all of the interceot we have found, we offer a sampling below. An increase in instructional Internet postings to operatives on methods to build explosive devices and detonators for use in the attacks against America. Instructions on how to fill medicine capsules with highly flammable and explosive material and carry them on to airplanes have also been found.Through...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has raised its warning of possible terror attack against military facilities and bases in the United States to its highest level, defense officials said on Wednesday. Responding to a change in threat warning from "significant" to "high," the military has decided to deploy additional anti-aircraft missile systems and increase air patrols in the Washington area, according to the officials who asked not to be identified. The DIA warning was issued late on Tuesday as the U.S. government raised its general terror alert status to the second-highest level, citing the risk of attacks...

CNN flashing alert. More details to follow. Could be a drudge like siren, or series. CNN thinks this one is serious.

An al-Qaeda cell believed to have fled Saudi Arabia for the United States or Europe shortly before the recent Riyadh bombings has sparked fears of an imminent attack on American soil. A high volume of "chatter" - intelligence intercepts - has intensified fears of new attacks and is close to the level of communications intercepted before the strikes against the Riyadh compounds, a high-ranking Saudi official said. The unnamed official said there had been at least three al-Qaeda cells with about 50 hard-core operatives in the kingdom before the bombings. He acknowledged that there was a much wider circle of...

THE first evidence that some of Saddam Hussein’s followers believe he is dead has emerged from intercepted communications between senior officials in the toppled regime, according to American intelligence sources. Electronic eavesdropping on Iraqi telephone links has for the first time picked up references to Saddam’s death. Iraqi officials began referring to him in the past tense after last Monday’s bombing of a property in the Baghdad district of al-Mansour where the dictator was believed to be at the time. Several American officials cautioned yesterday that the evidence was not conclusive, and the telephone conversations may have been a ruse...

From the Fox News Scroll: Some soldiers and marines stepping up Chem, Bio preparations colation forces move closer to Baghdad. Defense officials say increased "Chatter" suggests Iraqi forces may be planning to unleash chem weapong once coalition troops push into Baghdad Red Zone. Centcom says US very careful in target selection because regime known to keep weapon cashes in schools, hospitals depite intl laws of armed conflict.

The nation was on high alert last week because of what officials and security experts said was a surge in intercepted communications — "chatter" — among suspected Qaeda operatives. Although officials said the intercepts indicated that terrorists might have moved closer to an attack, there was still not enough detail on who, when and where. This is frustrating as well as terrifying. But once you understand the technology, it is clear why they call it "chatter" and why it is so hard to make sense of.

It has come to our attention that DoD decals have gone missing from a mulitiude of personally owned vehicles. This has not been happening in one particular location either. Theft reports of these base entry stickers have filtered in from a number of areas across the country.We don't know to what extent this has been reported or dealt with, but we felt it was important enough to put the word out as a warning, a brainstorm topic and a request for action. We have to consider the fact that not all installations have been hit as hard as others.Therefore reports...

Northcom sees imminent attack      The new U.S. Northern Command issued a warning on Wednesday that a terrorist attack was imminent.      The classified intelligence notice said the warning was put out in response to the latest audiotape purportedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The tape warned the United States and its allies that "you will be killed just as you kill, and will be bombed just as you bomb."      Additionally, the Northcom warning was based on electronic intelligence gathered from around the world indicating that some type of terrorist action would take place.      The warning, as in the past,...

WASHINGTON – Justice Department officials confirmed Thursday that electronic intercepts of communications by suspected al-Qaeda operatives have recently hit their highest level ever. "We have never seen this high level of the so-called 'chatter' by al-Qaeda guys," said one senior law enforcement source. "There's more of this stuff than we've ever seen before." The confirmation of an increase in suspected al-Qaeda communications came just after U.S. intelligence officials said that a tape released Tuesday by an Arabic-language network was likely the voice of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and recorded in the past two weeks. Bin Laden was last heard...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government agents have recently uncovered numerous calls from difficult-to-track prepaid cell phones, Internet-based phone service, prepaid phone cards and public pay phones in the United States to known al-Qaida locations overseas, federal officials said. The calls are one piece of a growing body of evidence pointing to the presence of suspected members of terrorist sleeper cells operating on U.S. soil, and a growing sophistication on their part to keep their communications secret, the officials said. The officials, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said the effort to follow the phone call trail has involved numerous federal...