Posted on 01/25/2003 1:51:49 AM PST by kattracks
The State Department fueled growing war jitters yesterday by issuing an alert to American expatriates around the world: Be prepared to evacuate and come home.Similar alerts are sometimes sent to people in war-torn countries, but this was the first sent to all 4 million expatriates, a majority of whom live in peaceful places such as Canada and Britain.
Officials played down the warning, saying it was just precautionary.
"We thought it was appropriate to remind people to take ordinary and routine precautions," a senior official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"American citizens should always be prepared to depart a country quickly, if necessary," said department spokeswoman Susan Pittman.
The message sent to embassies and consulates around the world advises Americans abroad to keep their documents up to date and "maintain an adequate food supply" and a stock of prescription medicine.
It came on the same day Spanish police arrested 16 suspected Al Qaeda terrorists believed by U.S. officials to be linked to Britain's deadly ricin poison case.
The suspects, mostly Algerians said to belong to an extremist group known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, were arrested at the request of French and U.S. authorities, sources said.
Food service fears
American counterterrorism officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one of those arrested worked in food service at a British military base where terrorists planned to put ricin in food. British police declined to comment.
Spanish authorities said the suspects - arrested in raids in Barcelona and other cities in the northeast Catalonia region - had explosives, chemicals and false passports. They said the men planned to attack unspecified targets.
With News Wire Services
Vulnerability: the peripheral personnel. The janitorial staff who has access to the garbage cans in high-security areas. The mechanics or fuel suppliers who work on vehicles which will be traveled in by military personnel. The FOOD SERVICE WORKERS who could slip deadly poison into a pot of simmering whatever in the mess hall. (I've thought for a long time that food service workers were the achilles heel of airline "security.") Considering that lots of these jobs go to the lowest bidder, and the personnel involved aren't subjected to rigorous background checks like the military personnel in the same room are, there could be some bad guys already exploiting their full and unfettered access to our soldiers.
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