Story highlights The State Department issues a global travel alert on possible al Qaeda attacks 
 
 Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot 
 
 Rep. King: Information is "specific," attacks "really could be almost anyplace" 
 
 Western targets, not just American ones, are under threat, officials say 
 
 A global travel alert issued Friday by the State Department warned al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks, a threat that prompted Sunday's closure of 21 embassies and consulates. Various Western targets -- not just those tied to the United States -- are under threat, according to two U.S. officials. Hide Caption 15 of 22 Photos: Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames on September 11. The State Department today issued a global travel warning to all U.S. citizens around the world, alerting them to the "continued potential for terrorist attacks."
– The State Department's unusually strong warnings this week about a possible terror threat—it announced that 21 US embassies would be closed tomorrow and followed that up with a global travel alert for Americans—came after authorities intercepted communications among what the New York Times calls "senior operatives" of al-Qaeda, a rarity. And this was apparently no idle chatter: CNN reports that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was in the "final stages of planning for an unspecified attack," with particular concern about the US embassy in Yemen between today and Tuesday. The timing dovetails with the end of Ramadan. “There is a significant threat stream and we’re reacting to it,” Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells ABC News for its This Week program. He says it is “more specific” than usual, though the exact target is unspecified. “The intent is to attack Western, not just US interests." Rep. Peter King made a similar point to CNN: The information is "the most specific I've seen," he says, adding, "We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace."