The airliner, a Boeing 757, was directed to land at Washington DC, where passengers were evacuated via inflatable chutes. No bombs were found.The dilemmas of these new times are most intimate within families. Tonight is Hallow-e’en, a date that stands out large on the American calendar. Trick-or-treating is a part of the fabric of tradition-minded Middle America Children and grown-ups alike dress in scary costumes. Houses in suburbia adopt spooky front-garden displays – coffins and skeletons draped in fake cobweb material.

And they seem to have done the same this year, despite the real-life horrors the country has lived through But the trick-or-treating part has many parents anxious. This is the night taking sweets from strangers is meant to be OK. Anthrax may be changing that rule.Andrea Orris, who lives in New Jersey, decided that something had to give when she heard about the FBI questioning a man who spent $15,000 (£10,400) on Hallowe’en sweets at shops near her home Her response was a familiar one, though Trick-or-treating would happen but a little differently. Last night, she was preparing to throw away the confectionery her nine-year-old daughter received from neighbours (without her seeing) and replace it with goodies she bought in advance.”I’m not an alarmist type of person,” she said “So I’m trying to keep our life as normal as possible.”. Osama bin Laden has delegated the authority to order new terrorist strikes to individual cells within his al-Qa’ida network, American intelligence officials believe. Osama bin Laden has delegated the authority to order new terrorist strikes to individual cells within his al-Qa’ida network, American intelligence officials believe.Mr bin Laden is thought to have told al-Qa’ida operatives they can launch new operations without prior approval.

The order is believed to have been the main reason for Monday’s formal warning by the American government of possible attacks in the next week.This means that even if the Allied military campaign, which is in its fourth week, is successful in killing Mr bin Laden and his senior lieutenants, further attacks may not be prevented, a horrifying reality for efforts to counter the threat of terror attacks inside America and on US targets overseas.Up to half a dozen cells operating in America have been identified since the 11 September attacks, though the authorities are not sure they have arrested all their members.The warning on Monday night, said to be based on “credible” information, was issued to America’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies They were put on the highest state of alert. While the alert was not specific about the location of possible attacks, they may be linked with the American Midwest, The Independent has learnt.Law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin were told to prepare. A source informed of the announcement said: “The warning said to expect something in the Midwest. It was specifically about the Midwest.”The latest alert is believed to be based on information from human sources and satellite intelligence. Officials said it came from a source that had proved reliable in the past, and that the details received stood out from the usual stream of information received every day.Tom Ridge, America’s homeland defence director, said: “When we do have, from credible sources, a strong suggestion that this is a week that we may see additional terrorist activity in this country … we need to heighten awareness.”Another official said the intelligence referred to conversations that used language similar to that intercepted by intelligence agents before 11 September.