What led to the terrorism alert issued Sunday?
Four pieces of information: • Intelligence that officials have been gathering for months indicating that al-Qaeda is in the execution phase of an attack in the USA designed to affect the Nov. 2 elections. This information has been conveyed to the public since April 2004, but officials have noted that it is not specific about time, place or method of attack. • Word on Friday morning that Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan, an al-Qaeda computer specialist captured in Pakistan, was active in planning attacks and had computer files with surveillance information on five financial centers in the three U.S. cities. Officials believe the surveillance files — 20 to 40 pages each, including details about what explosives would work best to destroy the buildings — were put together in 2000 and 2001. But at least one file was updated as recently as January 2004. • Additional information that Khan has connections to individuals who authorities believe are planning pre-election attacks here. There also was evi
