THE United States has closed at least 13 of its embassies and consulates
around the world to the public following the start of the war against Iraq.
State Department officials said the closures were not related to specific
threats of terrorism or other attacks, but were rather a precautionary move
based in part on fears that anti-war protests could turn violent.
US embassies in Almaty, Amman, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Damascus,
Kabul, Oslo, Pretoria, Nairobi, Riyadh, and Skopje were closed, the
officials said.
In addition the US consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa was closed and
the consulate in Durban was briefly evacuated after a bomb scare.
In Paris, the embassy remained open, but the consular section was closed to
all but emergency services for US citizens, the officials said.
They stressed the list was partial and that other missions might be
shuttered or closed to the public in the coming hours or days.
As the war got under way, US embassies and consulates in the Middle East
and Europe reported a surge in anti-war demonstrations, according to the
officials.
In the Middle East, large protests were held in Cairo and Damascus while in
Europe there were major demonstrations in Athens and Barcelona.
Other US posts reporting protests were Ankara, Berlin, Bern, Budapest, The
Hague, Kiev, Lisbon, Madrid, Malta, Moscow, Nicosia, Prague, Rome and Vienna.
Shortly after President George W. Bush announced that the conflict had
begun, the State Department released a global alert to US citizens warning
of possible terrorist retaliation for the war.
"As a result of military action in Iraq, there is a potential for
retaliatory actions to be taken against US citizens and interests
throughout the world," it said.
"Public demonstrations carry the potential for precipitating violence
directed at American citizens, symbols associated with the United States or
other US and western interests."
Around the world, that message was echoed by US embassies, which sent
notices to American communities to be vigilant and step up their security
precautions.
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