"We were at Bravo we are now at Charlie," said Army Major Robert Ditchey, a spokesman for the US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

Marine General Jim Jones, the commander of US forces in Europe, ordered the change "as a prudent measure to ensure the security and safety of our soldiers, sailors, airman, Marines, civilians, their families and our resources," the command said in a statement.

"This change in the force protection condition is entirely prudent given the confluence of recent events, and is based on the current assessment of a variety of factors relating to the security environment surrounding our communities," the command said.

The change was announced only hours after George W. Bush issue a 48-hour ultimatum for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq or face war.

Military guidance calls for imposing Force Protection Level Charlie "when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action against personnel and facilities is imminent."

But Ditchey said the change was "not tied to a specific event but a variety of factors."

Because of the restrictions imposed under "Charlie," it is normally imposed for only short period because otherwise the peacetime activities of the unit and its personnel would be affected.

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