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Terror alert drains US resources: Analyst

07 August 2013 01:57 (UTC +04:00)

“By design, it is an intriguing strategy because it drains US resources, ..to put people on alert, keep them on alert and they get tired from that,” Maloof told Press TV’s US Desk on Tuesday.

The move came after 19 US embassies and consulates across the Middle East and North Africa were closed as American officials warned that al-Qaeda may plan to conduct attacks by the end of this month.

But Maloof believes the US cannot predict when al-Qaeda terrorists will attack, saying “the time is on their side and if they choose to attack they’ll do that on their time not within any specified period of time”.

The US is also preparing to launch strikes, as the country ordered its warships in the Middle East to be ready in case of a possible attack by al-Qaeda.

On Tuesday, the US State Department called on American citizens in Yemen to leave the country immediately because of security concerns.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the order for Yemen came because of concern about a "threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks against US persons or facilities overseas, especially emanating from the Arabian Peninsula."

Analysts argue that warning of terrorist attacks at this time is a move Washington has taken to divert attention from the uproar over massive spying programs by the National Security Agency.