U.S. Has Flight Numbers of Specific Hijack Targets

Intelligence gathered by Homeland Security and Defense Department officials that caused terror alert levels to be elevated on Sunday included specific airline flight numbers targeted for hijacking by al-Qaeda as well as the names of airports involved in the plot.

"U.S. intelligence agencies had gathered detailed information about the plan, in which they said al Qaeda operatives would hijack foreign airliners and fly them into targets in the United States," reported NBC News late Tuesday.

"In some instances, the intelligence is so detailed as to include specific flight numbers," the network said.

"Federal air marshals, who usually fly only on domestic flights, are now boarding international airlines into those airports," NBC revealed.

U.S. officials said the highly detailed intelligence includes the name of at least one East Coast airport: New Jersey's Newark International, where incoming flights are being closely watched.

In addition to large urban centers like New York and Los Angeles, al-Qaeda is also believed to be targeting Las Vegas, according to the network's sources. Las Vegas is the nation's No. 2 vacation destination and is scheduled to host a number of large conventions and trade shows beginning next month.

Surface-to-air missiles have been deployed by the Pentagon to many of the cities most likely to be targeted.

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