Senator Claims Terror Threats Reminiscent of 9/11

Have you been wondering why the sudden fuss forcing embassies to close and dumping all over your holiday travel plans? Turns out that it's because the recent threats are the "most serious in recent years," according to Senator Chambliss.

Senator Saxby Chambliss, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, saying that the recent goings-on reminded him of 9/11.

"There has been an awful lot of chatter out there,” Chambliss said.“Chatter means conversation about terrorists, about the planning that’s going on, very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11. We didn’t take heed on 9/11 on the way that we should. But here, I think it’s important that we do take the right kind of planning as we come to the close of Ramadan, we know that’s always an interesting time for terrorists."

Sources told Fox News that the chatter included calls from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri for key leaders to "step up their activities."

The same sources also suggested that intelligence officials were worried about the recent prison breaks — such as the one in Pakistan last week —which have meant that hundreds of Al-Qaeda-affiliated inmates are now on the loose.

Of course, intelligence officials are also jumping at the chance to defend the data-gathering NSA programs leaked by ex-contractor Edward Snowden.

"If we did not have these programs, then we simply wouldn't be able to listen in on the bad guys," Chambliss said, adding that information was gathered by using some of the very same ones Snowden had revealed.

But others are still skeptical.

“Do we need to collect all of the phone records of all of the people living in America for five years so that if we’re going to target one particular person we’re ready to jump on it?” said Senator Dick Durbin on Sunday. "Does the government need all this information on everybody in the country?"

Interpol has now also issued a worldwide security alert, advising its members to be ready for any possible assaults.