WASHINGTON - The United States said Friday it had warned oil companies operating in North Africa of an al-Qaeda terrorist plot possibly using shoulder-launched missiles to fire at their headquarters or planes, and government officials said the United States would take an increasingly active role to secure thousands of rocket launchers, mines, and small arms from Moammar Gadhafi's once-vast arsenal.
The U.S. Embassy in Algeria received information about the threat and quickly alerted potential targets, the State Department said in a statement. The warning highlights the urgency of the Obama administration's effort to help Libya's opposition government lock up as many weapons as possible to prevent them from fueling an insurgency or falling into the hands of al-Qaeda operating across North Africa.
