U.S., France Warn of Possible Holiday Terror Attacks : Radicals: Seized weapons prompt an alert against moves by a Lebanese Shiite group.

The United States and France have issued worldwide advisories warning of possible terrorist attacks against Western interests over the holidays by units of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite group tied to Iranian radicals.

“The U.S. government, noting recent reports of movement of Middle Eastern terrorists in Western Europe, combined with the discovery of weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah cells in Spain and Africa, is concerned that terrorists may be planning near-term attacks against a variety of targets, possibly including U.S. interests,” the State Department said Friday.

Neither government publicly identified the groups suspected of planning new attacks, but both U.S. and French officials said privately that recent activities by Shiite extremists had triggered the warnings.

In the United States, the State Department sent warnings to all embassies and foreign military installations on Thursday and released a public alert Friday.

In France, paramilitary police were deployed around government buildings, stores, transportation facilities and airports, and the public was advised of the government’s concerns.

In part, the warnings represent a response to the pattern of past holiday attacks.

The explosion of a bomb in a cargo compartment brought down Pan American World Airways’ Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21 last year, killing 270 people. And on Dec. 27, 1985, simultaneous attacks on airports in Rome and Vienna killed 18 people and injured 120.

But the alerts also reflect concerns on the part of U.S. and French officials that an intense power struggle in Tehran is spilling into the international arena, as well as evidence that Hezbollah, or Party of God, has expanded its network into Europe and West Africa.

Last month, Spain arrested eight Arabs in Valencia and Madrid after discovering 440 pounds of explosives hidden in fruit jars shipped from Sidon, Lebanon.

Another shipment of explosives, also sent from Lebanon, later was found in Cyprus en route to former French colonies in West Africa.

Hard-line Iranian factions are believed to be orchestrating or backing acts of violence carried out by their extremist Lebanese Shiite allies in an attempt to undermine more pragmatic officials who dominate Iran’s government.

“Every time the radicals have been down in Iran, there’s been some major international incident that they either caused or turned to their advantage,” said Patrick Clawson of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia. “They have a proven record of using terrorist incidents to advance their domestic political agenda.”

In the aftermath of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s death last June, the Iranian government of President Hashemi Rafsanjani has tried to cut back its ties with Hezbollah in favor of wider connections with mainstream Lebanese groups, such as Amal, a more moderate Shiite militia, according to U.S. officials and Iran experts.

The result has been a realignment of prominent Iranian leaders and Lebanese groups.

The major threat, U.S. and French officials believe, is posed by the alignment of Iranian hard-liners, such as former Interior Minister Ali Mohtashami, with Hezbollah cells. Mohtashami, who helped create Hezbollah in Lebanon when he was ambassador to Syria in the mid-1980s, was ousted last summer by Rafsanjani.

Iranian and Lebanese radicals appear determined to undermine Rafsanjani’s government, which they fear will abandon Khomeini’s revolutionary dream.

U.S. counterterrorism officials, however, attempted to play down the significance of the warning issued by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Office.

“It’s what we call a CYT--cover your tail,” said one official. “Reports come in all the time about the movement of people and equipment. It’s nothing more than the usual. Holidays are often a time of trouble, and nobody wants to be accused if anything happens.”

The State Department generally has been reluctant to issue warnings, arguing that the large number of intelligence reports received would lead to frequent alerts that would affect international travel and provide an indirect victory for terrorist groups.

This week’s alerts already have sparked an enormous response. The State Department was flooded with calls Friday from congressional offices and other government agencies as well as businesses and individuals planning trips abroad.

The public warning said “the most probable venues” of terrorist activity are Western Europe or possibly Western Africa. U.S. officials noted, however, that they had no specific indications of American targets.

“If credible, specific information or a threat to the public is received, the Department of State will provide additional information for travelers and other concerned parties,” the State Department said.

French officials believe the primary targets of Hezbollah operations are French installations. Detailed maps of French airports and shopping areas were found among the suspects arrested in Spain.