July 4th: Despite No Specific Threats, Officials Stepping Up Security
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Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — If you’re headed to a major Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday, you can expect to see more police and security officials milling around.
While officials say no specific threats or terror plots have been discovered, they are stepping up security over concerns about so-called “lone wolves” and ongoing concern about al Qaeda — specifically al Qaeda in Yemen. There’s concern that the group has been focused on recruiting people of different ethnic backgrounds.
ABC News confirmed a report out of Europe last week that a man of Norwegian descent was recruited, and is thought to be operating out of Yemen. ABC News also learned last week that the U.S. government had charged a man of Vietnamese descent with planning and plotting with al Qaeda in Yemen.
As a result, Americans can expect to see a lot of law enforcement officials in major cities on Independence Day. There will be undercover cops, radiation detectors will be out, and authorities will also have eyes in the sky.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio