US global travel alert after embassies closure over terror threat

The State Department warned American citizens Friday that al Qaeda and its affiliates are planning terrorist attacks in the Middle East and North Africa in August, possibly occurring or coming from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Yemen. It urged American travelers to take extra precautions overseas, sign up for State Department alerts and register with US consulates in the countries they are visiting. The alert was posted a day after the State Department said 21 embassies and consulates would be closed Sunday in the Muslim world and Israe over unspecified security concerns.