US issues national terrorism alert

The Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism alert Wednesday, saying that the Jan 6 riot at the Capitol may embolden extremists and set the stage for additional attacks in the coming weeks.

The department said it doesn't have evidence of a specific plot and it didn't mention any ideological or political affiliation, but said violent extremists opposed to the government and the presidential transition "could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence".

"Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence," according to the bulletin issued through the DHS National Terrorist Advisory System (NTAS).

DHS said it is "concerned these same drivers to violence will remain through early 2021 and some [domestic violent extremists] may be emboldened'' by the breach of the Capitol "to target elected officials and government facilities".

The alert comes after the riot at the Capitol by supporters of then-president Donald Trump who were seeking to overturn the presidential election. DHS also noted violent riots in "recent days", an apparent reference to events in Portland, Oregon, linked to anarchist groups.

For months demonstrations were held nightly in Oregon's largest city, following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Many ended with clouds of tear gas and clashing with police or federal officers.

Most recently, following the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan 20, more than 150 people gathered outside the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement building in Portland's South Waterfront. Portland police said protesters were throwing rocks and eggs and vandalizing the building. Six people were arrested, and officers declared an unlawful assembly.

The demonstration was one of several that took place that day — earlier far-left protesters smashed windows at the Democratic Party of Oregon building in Northeast Portland. Eight people were arrested.

The DHS alert is the department's first in about a year. The last such bulletin from DHS came in January 2020 when DHS issued one over potential retaliation by Iran for the US assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq days earlier.

A year before that, DHS issued a bulletin through the same system to highlight the threat from foreign terrorist groups like ISIS or al-Qaida.

DHS didn't issue an alert ahead of the Jan 6 rally in Washington that devolved into a mob siege at the Capitol, despite public warnings online that extremists planned to do so.

Wednesday's public warning echoes what intelligence bulletins sent privately to law enforcement officials in recent weeks have said, underscoring a continued threat from violence-prone individuals who still believe Biden's election was illegitimate.

The federal government warns local law enforcement through bulletins about the prospect for violence tied to a particular date or event.

But The Associated Press said this particular bulletin is notable because it effectively places the Biden administration into the politically charged debate over how to describe or characterize acts motivated by political ideology and suggests that it sees violence aimed at overturning the election as akin to terrorism.

Agencies contributed to this story.