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U.S. renews global terror alert after Kenya massacre

NEW YORK The State Department is renewing its global terrorism alert for U.S. citizens following the attack by al Qaeda linked extremists on an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

In a new "worldwide caution" issued Wednesday, the department said it continued to be concerned about threats to U.S. citizens and interests in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It said attackers could use a variety of tactics, including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings.

It said potential targets could be high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas, shopping malls and other tourist destinations where Americans gather in large numbers.

The new warning follows the Nairobi mall attack in which Al-Shabab militants killed at least 67 people died.

At least 18 foreigners were killed, including six Britons, citizens from France, Canada, Trinidad, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China, when the militants entered the Westgate Mall on Saturday, slaughtering men, women and children with assault rifles and grenades. Witnesses said the gunmen also rounded up people, asked questions about Islam that a Muslim would know, andtold the Muslims to leave.

On Tuesday, President Obama said that while the world is more stable than five years ago, the deadly terrorist attack on a shopping mall in Kenya "indicates the dangers that remain." Mr. Obama said al Qaeda has splintered into regional networks and militias, which poses "serious threats to governments, diplomats, businesses and civilians across the globe."

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