Americans in Saudi Arabia relocated after threat (CNN) -- An unspecified threat has prompted U.S. officials to move American residents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to another location, a statement from the U.S. Consulate said. The so-called warden message, released by the consulate on Tuesday, warned of an elevated threat "in the area of the Sierra Village compound." The message offered no further details. The U.S. Consulate in Jeddah was the target of terrorists in December when nine people were killed in an attack by gunmen. The dead included four terrorists and five non-American consular employees, U.S. officials said. A group later claiming responsibility for the attack called itself the Qaeda al Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula. ( <http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/06/jeddah.attack/> Full story) In August, a vehicle from the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah was hit by gunfire from a single assailant while driving in the city. The two occupants of the vehicle -- the driver and an American employee of the consulate -- were not injured in the attack. U.S. Consul General Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley said Wednesday that the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah was open for normal business, despite the warning. Americans who live and work in the area "are advised to maintain a heightened level of vigilance and continue varying times and routes when traveling," the warden message said. Abercrombie-Winstanley said in general that Americans working in the private sector have been urged to leave Saudi Arabia since April of 2004. Also Tuesday, the U.S. State Department renewed its worldwide caution for all Americans living outside the United States. "The Department of State is deeply concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and interests abroad, as well as the potential for demonstrations and violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas," a statement said. "The Department of State remains concerned by indications that al Qaeda and affiliated groups continue to prepare to strike U.S. interests abroad." Attacks against Americans and other Westerners in the Saudi kingdom have increased during the past two years. In June of 2004, U.S. citizen Paul Johnson was kidnapped and beheaded while working in Saudi Arabia. He was an engineer for Lockheed Martin Corp. in the capital, Riyadh, when he was abducted by al Qaeda terrorists. ( <http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/18/saudi.kidnap/> Full story) Al Qaeda-led suicide attacks struck Riyadh housing compounds in May of 2003 and the following July, killing 40 people, most of them Muslims. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/09/saudi.warning/index.html [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
