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ANKARA, Turkey - The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain urged Americans on Tuesday to avoid crowded areas, while in Turkey a police document obtained by the Associated Press warned that militants were preparing attacks against Israeli, U.S. and other Western interests over the holidays.
Based partly on information from British and Israeli intelligence, the Bush administration suspects terrorists are eyeing Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Bahrain, Yemen and Turkey for attacks.
U.S. officials were reluctant to disclose detailed intelligence information, but said other countries might be targets, too.
The tension was clear from Britain, where the country's top police officer warned people to be vigilant during the holiday season, to Yemen, where security around embassies was noticeably tighter.
The most chilling warning came in Turkey, where an internal police intelligence document obtained by the AP Tuesday cautioned that militants were infiltrating the country to complete preparations for new attacks against Western targets and Istanbul's popular Akmerkez shopping mall.
Militants believed to be linked to al-Qaida bombed two Istanbul synagogues in mid November and later struck the British consulate and the local branch of a London bank. Those attacks killed 62 people, including the suicide bombers.
"It is being detected that the preparations for a large-scale third wave of attacks to follow up the suicide bombings has been completed," said the Istanbul police document.
In Bahrain, where more than 5,000 Americans live, the U.S. Embassy in Manama warned it had received information about a possible terrorist attack during the holidays and cautioned Americans to avoid places where Westerners gather and to reduce unnecessary travel.