Although U.S. authorities say there is no credible intelligence about a specific threat against such hospitals, the bulletin said there have been persistent reports of suspicious activity at medical facilities throughout the United States.

That includes "possible reconnaissance activities" this year at military medical facilities in Bethesda, Md., and Aurora, Colo., according to the bulletin obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The bulletin was circulated late Thursday to law enforcement agencies and security officials nationwide.

Later investigation of these two incidents uncovered no links to terrorism. Though the facilities involved are not VA hospitals, the bulletin urges local police and security personnel to pay special attention to such institutions.

"These facilities may be considered attractive targets due to their association with the military and a perception that such an attack may be more successful than an attack against traditional military targets, which generally maintain a more robust security posture," the bulletin said.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi told a group of Omaha, Neb., veterans Friday that the warning should not prevent them from seeking the care they need. The VA treats millions of veterans and family members each year.

"I want you to know that's cautionary only," Principi told the group. "There is absolutely no specific evidence that any VA center is at risk."

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the bulletin was "informational" and "not driven by threat reporting, and we encourage all those that work in or visit these facilities to be assured that there is a high level of security already in place."

U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that al-Qaida is likely to attempt an attack inside the United States before the Nov. 2 election.

Security is extraordinarily tight for next week's Republican National Convention in New York. Captured al-Qaida documents indicating planning for possible strikes against financial interests led to extra security around buildings in New York and Newark, N.J., and at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington.

Bethesda, located just outside the nation's capital, is the home of the National Naval Medical Center - where U.S. presidents are treated and just across the street from the sprawling National Institutes of Health. Aurora, just east of Denver, is home to the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, now being redeveloped into a civilian medical school.

FBI officials declined to provide details about the incidents mentioned in the bulletin.

The Department of Veterans Affairs operates 163 hospitals in the United States, with at least one in each of the 48 contiguous states as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are also hundreds of VA clinics and nursing homes.

The VA is unaware of any terrorist surveillance or suspicious incidents at any of its hospitals, said agency spokeswoman Cynthia Church. "We are operating as usual," she said.

Earlier this month, the FBI warned that al-Qaida might attempt to attack military recruitment centers, which are also less tightly guarded than other military facilities.

The new bulletin repeats a number of previously released indicators of possible terrorist surveillance. These include unusual interest in security measures or access points of buildings; operatives possibly disguised as "panhandlers, shoe shiners, food or flower vendors;" discreet use of video cameras in areas not frequented by tourists, and individuals seen observing security drills or procedures.,

The FBI has also warned previously that al-Qaida might hit lightly guarded targets such as apartment buildings, shopping malls and hotels.

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