U.S.

False Alarm At LAX

February 13, 2002 / 11:36 AM EST / AP

Three Los Angeles International Airport terminal buildings were evacuated Wednesday after a mysterious package was found in a planter.

The package was discovered in the International Terminal, airport spokesman Gaby Pacheco said. Buildings on either side of that terminal also were evacuated, including one used by American Airlines and another shared by several carriers.

Television news helicopters showed hundreds of travelers leaving the terminals as police cars and the bomb squad surrounded the buildings.

The evacuations come a day after the FBI's most recent warning about possible terrorist activity in the United States.

The agency issued warnings of a possible attack "on or around" Tuesday, based on an unusually detailed warning on information from interviews by U.S. officials with detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan.

Attorney General John Ashcroft urged Americans to adopt "the highest state of alert" in the search for 17 men possibly linked to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and believed to have planned an attack against the United States or its people in Yemen.

The airport remained open with arrivals and departures continuing during the emergency. No flights were diverted, officials said.

"We certainly want to err on the side of caution," police Lt. Horace Frank said.

The international terminal was evacuated on Dec. 25 after someone reported finding a "suspicious package" that turned out to be wrapped Christmas presents.