WASHINGTON — The U.S. government lowered the terrorist threat level one notch Friday after concluding that the danger of attack from the al-Qaida terrorist network had subsided somewhat.

The reduction in the threat level from orange, or "high risk," to yellow, or "elevated risk," came 10 days after Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge had raised it, partly in response to suicide attacks earlier this month that killed 34 people in Saudi Arabia and 43 in Morocco. Al-Qaida operatives are believed to be linked to both attacks.

"The U.S. intelligence community has . . . concluded that the number of indicators and warnings that led to raising the level have decreased and the heightened vulnerability associated with the Memorial Day holiday has passed," Ridge said in a statement Friday.

"This decision is based upon a number of factors, including a review of the intelligence and assessment of threats," Ridge said in the statement.

Ridge made the decision to lower the government's security posture after conferring repeatedly with top officials from the FBI, Justice Department, CIA and the National Security Council Friday, and after speaking with President Bush, who is on the first leg of an overseas trip, officials said.

In the wake of the bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca, U.S. intelligence officials expressed fears that al-Qaida had become globally "operational," and that the threats were so grave overseas that it was prudent to raise the threat index in this country. Authorities also cited fears that large Memorial day gatherings could be targeted when they raised the alarm on May 20.

Ten days later, the fact that Americans observed the Memorial Day weekend without a terrorist incident was one factor that led to Friday's decision to return to yellow, the midpoint in the five-color threat scale.

This latest orange alert was the third to be declared in the last three months, and the fourth since the threat system was initiated in March 2002. This time, there was a sense that the alert was becoming almost routine for police departments, private security firms, National Guard units and other groups that step up their activities each time the threat level is raised.

Authorities have said that signaling increased vigilance through the heightened alert levels can have a deterrent effect on anyone considering an attack.

But Ridge warned Americans not to lower their guard.

"The lowering of the threat level is not a signal to government, law enforcement or citizens that the danger of a terrorist attack has passed," Ridge said Friday. "The U.S. intelligence community remains concerned that al-Qaida is attempting to exploit our weaknesses and believes that the United States and its interests are still at a significant risk of terrorist attack."

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Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said "there is still concern that al-Qaida retains the ability and desire to mount attacks in the United States."

Local governments have complained that the orange alerts cost them large sums of money for additional security precautions. But many municipal officials acknowledge that they end up deferring other expenditures, such as money for training, to save funds during the emergencies.

U.S. officials on Friday denied media reports that a communication found on an Internet site two weeks ago — which warned that there could be an attack in New York, Boston or on "the commercial coastline" — stoked grave concerns that led to the May 20 alert. Intelligence officials had doubts that the message was authentic from the start and soon dismissed it altogether, they said.

"It couldn't be corroborated, and it didn't play a significant role" in raising the level to orange, Roehrkasse said.

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