U.S. WARNS OF AL QAEDA ATTACK, OFFERS NO SPECIFICS

Al Qaeda plans to attack the United States in the next few months, top U.S. officials warned on Wednesday citing "credible intelligence," but the threat was not enough to raise the national terror alert level.

"Credible intelligence, from multiple sources, indicates that al Qaeda plans to attempt an attack on the United States in the next few months," Attorney General John Ashcroft told a news conference.

"This disturbing intelligence indicates al Qaeda's specific intention to hit the United States hard."

Ashcroft said he had no information on where or how any future attacks might occur.

But he said Al Qaeda -- blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks -- has declared preparations for an attack on the United States were nearly complete.

Ashcroft, who held the news conference with FBI Director Robert Mueller, said al Qaeda may hope another attack might draw a response like that after the March 11 train bombings in Madrid. Those attacks influenced Spain's election and led to withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq.

"Al Qaeda may perceive that a large-scale attack in the United States this summer or fall would lead to similar consequences," ahead of the November U.S. presidential election, he said. "Several upcoming events over the next few months may suggest especially attractive targets for such an al Qaeda attack."

Upcoming events include the opening of a World War II memorial this weekend in Washington; the Group of Eight summit in Sea Island, Georgia in June; the Fourth of July holiday and the Democratic and Republican Party conventions in Boston and New York at the end of the summer.

Mueller urged Americans to be particularly alert in the coming months. "Over the next few months we have reason to believe that there will be a heightened threat to United States interests around the world," he said. "Unfortunately, we currently do not know what form that threat may take."

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said there were no plans to raise the color-coded terror alert level, which is currently set at "yellow" -- the mid-point of the five-point scale -- for an "elevated" risk of attack.