Powell: Be Vigilant, But Have Fun On 4th

Americans should be vigilant for possible attacks around the Fourth of July holiday, Colin Powell said Sunday. But the Secretary of State said that people should still try to enjoy Independence Day celebrations.

"There's been a variety of reports coming in, intelligence reports that suggest we ought to be especially vigilant as we go into the Fourth of July season," Powell told CBS News.

Administration and law enforcement officials will be working in the coming days to assess intelligence information about possible attacks.

"I hope most Americans will go about their business and enjoy the Fourth of July. I intend to," Powell said.

According to news reports, the FBI issued a warning to state and local law enforcement agencies to be on alert for July 4. But the FBI chose not to make its warning public since it was vague and the agency fears Americans might be suffering from "threat fatigue" after a series of nonspecific warnings in past months.

The Fourth of July is one of the biggest holidays of the year for most Americans with countless people gathering for barbecues and fireworks displays in parks around the country.

A Newsweek poll issued Saturday said 75 percent of Americans would not avoid big cities like Washington or New York on July 4, even though 57 percent felt a terrorist attack against major U.S. cities or landmarks was likely.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon, law enforcement officials have issued warnings telling citizens to be on alert for possible strikes. But those warnings generally offered few specifics.

Asked about what was behind the latest FBI warning, Powell said, "It's the usual body of information and intelligence" from sources such as the FBI and CIA.