Just days before the one-year anniversary of Usama bin Laden’s death, federal authorities are telling partners around the country there is no specific, credible threat to the U.S. homeland but they remain concerned “lone wolf” terrorists could use the date to avenge the former Al Qaeda leader’s death.

In an intelligence bulletin issued late Wednesday, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Northern Command note that terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Northern Africa’s Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and the Pakistani Taliban have called for revenge against the United States for killing bin Laden during the May 1, 2011, raid on his hideout in Pakistan.

The bulletin says Al Qaeda or its affiliates would view an attack “on this anniversary as a symbolic victory,” especially in the wake of losses suffered by Al Qaeda through U.S. drone attacks and other efforts overseas.

In addition, according to the bulletin, authorities remain concerned that so-called “lone-wolf” extremists not already
identified “will execute attacks with little or no warning on or about the anniversary of bin Laden’s death.”

A report issued Wednesday by the European Union, looking at how terrorism has changed in Europe over the past year, says the “threat has evolved” since the deaths of bin Laden and other terrorist leaders.

“[L]one actors or small EU-based groups are becoming increasingly prominent, as is the Internet as a key facilitator for terrorism-related activities,” Interpol’s E.U. Terrorist Situation and Trend Report says. “Al Qaeda’s call for individual violent jihad through the execution of small-scale attacks may result in an increase in such attacks. The more Al Qaeda’s core is under pressure, and the more difficult it becomes to prepare large scale attacks, the more Al Qaeda will try to recruit individual supporters in the West to plan and execute attacks.”

The EU report cites a “solo terrorist” of Moroccan descent, who adhered to Al Qaeda ideology and was arrested in August 2011 for “planning to poison the water supplies of tourist locations in Spain, in retaliation for the death of bin Laden.”

As for the U.S. government bulletin issued Wednesday, it cites Al Qaeda’s fixation since at least 2010 with launching attacks on symbolic dates. In addition, the bulletin suggests recent controversies over the desecration of bodies in Afghanistan and the burning of Korans could further inflame passions among extremists.

Nevertheless, the bulletin says authorities “continue to asses that operational readiness remains the driving factor behind the timing of Al Qaeda attacks,” and authorities do not expect jihadist messages online calling for revenge “to accelerate or motivate attack plotting.”

“[W]e have not detected signs of homeland plots by (known) groups in the intervening months” since bin Laden’s death, the bulletin reads.

(Source: Fox News)