The Bush administration on Sunday declared a high risk of terrorist attacks against financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas after receiving what it described as alarming information that operatives of Al Qaeda had conducted detailed reconnaissance missions at certain sites. "This information is about as specific as you can get ... chilling in its scope, in its detail, in its breadth." Suspects were found with blueprints and may have conducted a "test run" for an attack in recent days, collecting information on the flow of pedestrian traffic, possible escape routes, elevator schedules, neighborhood landmarks, the patterns and number of security personnel, details on surveillance cameras and relevant architectural details. The elevation of the threat level for the financial institutions was set off by the recent arrest of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a 25-year-old Pakistani computer engineer, who had used and helped to operate a secret Qaeda communications system where information was transferred via coded messages. A companion article reports: "One senior American intelligence official said the information was more detailed and precise than any he had seen during his 24-year career in intelligence work." It continues: "Since his arrest, Mr. Khan has described an elaborate communications system that involves the use of high and low technology." Several episodes in the United States have recently drawn scrutiny from counterterrorism officials, including reports from passengers on a recent flight to Los Angeles about odd activity by a group of Syrian musicians. NYT finally mentions Flight 327 but says it was not a factor in raising the orange alert. NYT's David Rohde is now reporting from Karachi, Pakistan. US Warns of High Risk of Qaeda Attack | 
