Al Qaeda threat looms over US Presidential elections, officials sound alert

The US is mindful of a potential al Qaeda threat that looms over November 8 general elections, the White House has said amid reports that the terrorist outfit was planning an attack in America.

"We're particularly mindful of the kinds of risks facing the United States around significant events. Sometimes it's holidays, like the holidays at the end of the year, or the Fourth of July," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told while flying with the US President Barack Obama tothis city in North Carolina on Friday.

"Sometimes that's around specific events of national significance. So we're certainly mindful of the potential ofincreased risks around a national event like Election Day. "Even as we're mindful of those risks, the President's national security team and certainly our Homeland Security Department is taking the necessary steps to protect theAmerican people and mitigate any changes to the threat picture," Earnest said.

He said he had seen reports about of al Qaeda threats. "I can't comment specifically on them. I don't have a new intelligence assessment to offer from here," he said. "What I can tell you is that the President and hisnational security team are vigilant about all threats that arefacing the US," he said. Earnest said Obama was being updated every day on therisks that are facing the the US.

"The President's national security team adopts a posture of ensuring that we're adapting to the latest threat picture,"he said.