Pentagon raises alert level at US bases

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Pentagon raises alert level at US bases

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The Pentagon said Wednesday it has raised alert level at military bases in United States.

07 September,2011 09:34 pm

The step has been taken as a precaution before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.The force protection level for military installations, mostly in the United States, is being raised in advance of 9/11, press secretary George Little told reporters.This is not in response to any particular threat, but is a prudent and precautionary measure.Little said Al-Qaeda has focused on holidays and milestone events in the past and the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 was mentioned in the documents seized in the US raid in May that killed Osama bin Laden at his Pakistani compound.The decision, which takes effect Wednesday, was taken by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on the recommendation of the head of US Northern Command, which oversees forces in North America, he said.The Pentagon declined to divulge the details of the new security level or what measures that might require at bases in the United States.Most US bases abroad were already operating under a heightened alert level, Little said.