Posted on 02/03/2003 4:53:19 PM PST by knighthawk
KUWAIT The two main American schools in Kuwait have decided to close for about six weeks because of growing tensions in the Gulf, school officials said Monday in the first substantive sign of war fears among Americans here.
The American School of Kuwait and the American International School will shut their doors on Friday until March 22. The decision comes two weeks after suspected Muslim extremists shot and killed a businessman who was contracted to the U.S. military in Kuwait.
"There's a lot of tension and we can't live with tension," the school's owner, Wael Abdul Ghafour, said. "It's just a precautionary action."
Ron Hawley, personnel administrator for the American International School, said school officials believe the dates chosen for the closing could correspond to the dates of an actual war.
"The timing is based on our best guess," he said.
Hawley said the prospect of war and recent statements by Iraq that it might attack Kuwait in the event of a conflict "makes American teachers nervous." About 200 American children attend the American School of Kuwait and about 70 attend the American International School. About 2,000 children of Kuwaiti and other nationalities who attend the two schools also would be affected.
The schools had expected to close for parts of that period for national holidays.
The U.S. State Department has strongly urged American private citizens to consider leaving Kuwait, and some have begun to pack up.
Hawley said the families of a few of his American students have left the country. He did not say how many.
Several foreign oil companies, including British Petroleum, Texaco and Chevron, were reportedly holding meetings with their staff this week to decide whether to evacuate employees.
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The local school admin doesn't have inside information.
Probably not, but I like his guess.
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