The British authorities have raised their terror alert from substantial to severe. As a statement from the Home Secretary puts it:

"The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has today raised the threat to the UK from international terrorism from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE. This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest than an attack is imminent."

The U.S. terror threat level generally is at "elevated" or yellow since Aug 12, 2005. The level for the airlines and airports has been orange or "high" since the airliner bomb plot of August 2006.

CNN'S Jeanne Meserve is reporting that the British have raised their level to essentially match the U.S. level, especially for air transportation.

 

The British action on Friday came on the same day that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was in Geneva, Switzerland meeting with the International Air Transport Association to urge greater action on aviation security in the wake of the Christmas Day bombing attempt on a Northwest Airlines flight on its approach to Detroit.