Terror warnings shows global reach of U.S. security fears<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nWashington\/London\/Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
U.S. authorities have issued a spate of alerts in Saudi Arabia,
\nMalaysia and Afghanistan, and warned that al-Qaeda may be
\nplotting to use cargo planes to target power plants in the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
The alerts, though unrelated, map a grim constellation of U.S.
\nsecurity fears and the variety of potential threats to the
\nworld's sole superpower.<\/p>\n
Washington on Friday closed its embassy and two consulates in
\nSaudi Arabia, saying it had credible information that terrorists
\nwere in the operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.<\/p>\n
An embassy advisory told U.S. nationals that the closure would
\naffect all U.S. missions around the kingdom on Saturday, but an
\nembassy spokesperson said a \"security review\" might last longer.<\/p>\n
\"In light of the seriousness of the current threat, the
\nembassy in Riyadh and the U.S. consulates general in Jeddah and
\nDhahran will close on Saturday, Nov. 8, to review their current
\nsecurity posture,\" the advisory said.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, suspected al-Qaeda suicide bombers devastated a
\nRiyadh residential compound of foreigners mostly from Arab states
\non Sunday, killing between 20 and 30 people and injuring up to
\n100, diplomats said.<\/p>\n
The British embassy in Bahrain on Saturday warned its citizens
\nin the Gulf state that there was a \"high threat\" of terrorist
\nattacks against western targets in the country.<\/p>\n
A statement published on the embassy website warned British
\ncitizens to remain vigilant in public places and to review
\nsecurity arrangements.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Washington, the State Department issued a public
\nannouncement about the safety of U.S. citizens in Malaysia,
\nwarning they could fall prey to Southeast Asian terror groups.<\/p>\n
The announcement urged extra caution to U.S. citizens in the
\ntroubled eastern Malaysia state of Sabah on Borneo Island, near
\nwhere the radical Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf group kidnapped a
\ngroup of foreign tourists in 2000.<\/p>\n
The warning also noted the threat to Americans in the region
\nfrom the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) group, which was blamed for the
\nnightclub bombings last year in Bali, Indonesia, and other
\nattacks on western targets.<\/p>\n
\"Extremist groups in the region have demonstrated their
\ncapability to carry out transnational attacks in locations where
\nWesterners congregate.<\/p>\n
Malaysia responded angrily to the safety warning, saying
\nsecurity nationwide is adequate and ruling out fears the
\nannouncement would hurt Malaysia's tourist industry.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Minister of Defense Najib Razak said the U.S. State
\nDepartment was wrong to issue the new travel advisory because the
\nsituation was safe for foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
\"It is not for the U.S. State Department to issue the advisory
\nto its citizens which can effect our image to the world
\nespecially to foreign tourists\".<\/p>\n
\"Malaysia has taken serious efforts to contain militant
\nactivities and this has been proven with our action against
\ngroups such as the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI),\" he was quoted as
\nsaying by the Sunday Star newspaper.<\/p>\n
Separately, the U.S. State Department warned that remnants of
\nthe Taliban plan to abduct American journalists in Afghanistan
\nand use them to demand release of Taliban prisoners held by the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
\"The United States embassy in Kabul has received credible
\ninformation that Taliban forces are actively searching for
\nAmerican journalists to take hostage for use as leverage for the
\nrelease of Taliban currently under United States control,\" a
\nState Department notice said.<\/p>\n
\"American journalists in Afghanistan are urged to take
\nimmediate steps to increase their security posture in light of
\nthese threats,\" the embassy said in a notice.<\/p>\n
Closer to home, the Department of Homeland Security and the
\nFBI late on Friday warned that al-Qaeda operatives may be
\nplanning to hijack cargo jets in Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean
\nand use them to attack power plants and other critical
\ninfrastructure in the United States.<\/p>\n
The alert was based on uncorroborated information from a
\nsingle informant, according to U.S. media reports. But
\nauthorities deemed it serious enough to issue the warning.<\/p>\n
U.S. authorities were also preparing to send a similar alert
\nto Saudi Arabia, warning that cargo planes could be used as
\nweapons against targets there, CNN reported.<\/p>",
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