NEW WARNING ON AL QAEDA – AT 10:09 P.M. ET:  Only hours after Al Qaeda announced its new leader, our Department of Homeland Security sent out a major alert.   From Fox:

The Department of Homeland Security has sent out an internal alert warning that jihadist websites last week posted a "hit list" of American executives, officials and companies -- an alarming development that could mark the start of a new phase in terror plots.

The list, which covers dozens of names connected to the Iraq war, including executives at Halliburton and KBR, was compiled by users who vowed to "send explosive mail" to the "best target." The lists were published online around the same time American-born Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn released a video in which he called on Muslims in the U.S. to kill Americans.

Security analysts believe the two messages are related and underscore a shift in terror strategy -- from top-down, mass-casualty events to smaller-scale attacks taken up, in some cases, by freelancing, lone-wolf jihadists.

The DHS bulletin, obtained by FoxNews.com, described how posts on the Arabic-language Ansar al-Mujahideen forum discussed "specific targets" for potential attack. The discussion originated on a more secure Al Qaeda-linked site known as the Shumukh forum.

COMMENT:  Please note that the hit list was posted last week, before Ayman al-Zawahri was named to the top Al Qaeda post and given the keys to the White Cave, their executive mansion.  There is some dispute as to whether this type of attack is favored by al-Zawahri, who is known as a big-operation guy.  Indeed, some analysts interviewed today said that they feared al-Zawahri may try a large attack against the United States, simply to prove his mettle.

So we have reason to be concerned both about small operations directed at, say, one prominent person, and the large mass attack identified with al-Zawahri.

June 16, 2011