Washington ? Drawing on the CIA’s expertise, the FBI has formed a new unit of intelligence analysts who already have prompted three recent terror warnings and focused investigative efforts on midlevel al-Qaida members.

Officials told The Associated Press the analysts have developed a portrait of an al-Qaida that is operating essentially with midlevel members carrying out attack plans as its more notorious leaders hide from the U.S. military.

The new analysts, several of whom have worked for the CIA, are interpreting raw intelligence in a way new to the FBI focused on disrupting terrorists’ plans even before agents meet the legal standards for arrests and prosecutions.

“You need to keep your analysts separate so that they can continue to mine information and continue to give you the global picture,” said Pat Damuro, the FBI’s assistant director for counterterrorism, who is overseeing the analysis effort.

The new analysts are not focused on specific cases, but rather “looking over the horizon” for emerging threats and trends, Damuro said.

Though only two months in the making, the new analysis unit has already made some public marks. It was responsible for three recent warnings sent by the FBI about possible terrorist plans, law enforcement officials said.

One warning went to scuba diving schools, advising owners to be wary of suspicious people buying large amounts of equipment and asking for instruction that might be useful in a terror attack.

In June, the analysts provided FBI officials with guidance that led to warnings to Jewish schools and synagogues and another warning to fuel depot operators about a possible attack scenario.

Al-Qaida has changed after the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan.

“What we are seeing is the mid-level operatives are in the position to carry out attacks against Americans. We are coming up with a list of these people and together with the CIA are making them a high priority,” a senior law enforcement official said.

Combining foreign and domestic intelligence with information from al-Qaida members in custody in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the analysts are helping FBI and foreign police identify midlevel operatives and apprehend them before they can carry out attacks.

Officials this week stopped an American man in Denver whom they are holding as a material witness. They believe he may have taken computer equipment to a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.