Recent Bombs Could Be Trial-Run For New Attacks

Independent (UK) ^ | 5-21-2003 | Rupert Cornwell

[blam]

Recent bombs could be trial-run for new attacks

By Rupert Cornwell, in Washington
21 May 2003

Britian, Germany and the United States are closing their embassies and consulates in Saudi Arabia from today after receiving "credible information" of possible imminent terrorist attacks against targets in the country.

The new alert comes nine days after the co-ordinated car bombings at three residential compounds in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in which 34 people, including eight Americans, died.

There is concern in Washington DC that terrorists may be planning a major strike in the US itself, for which the Riyadh attacks and those last weekend in Casablanca, Morocco, were a warm-up.

The measures cover the British and American embassies in Riyadh, as well as the countries' consulates in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.

The US consulate in Dhahran and the British trade office in Al Khobar are also being closed and will remain so until Sunday at the earliest.

Germany said it was closing its embassy and a mission to visitors at least until Friday because of security concerns.

Western fears have been reinforced by a warning from Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington, that intelligence services have picked up increased "chatter" in the region and beyond suggesting new attacks were likely

[blam]

I heard "imminent" described today as about 48 hours.

[cmsgop]

Prince Bandar's comments kinda left me a little worried.

[Dog]

Neil Livingstone was just on with Brit Hume......he thinks sports stadiums and large gatherings of crowds.....are the targets...the feds are worried about.

[Dog]

Remember Bandar went on that secret mission.....what the hell was that all about.

I don't trust the Saudis.....they are playing both sides.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[rabidralph]

Overseas it was nightclubs with other Arabs and residential neighborhoods with foreign residents. In America, that can mean Detroit's Arab neighborhoods and establishments and New York's Jewish neigbhorhoods and establishments, as well as the Jewish populations in the DC suburbs. I really hope the FBI and others have all of these groups under surveillance by now and stop being PC about our safety.

[Delmarksman]

"I don't trust the Saudis.....they are playing both sides."

I agree

[fourdeuce82d]

Wonder if they're going to hit the Aramco compounds- esp. Abqaiq, Dhahran, or Ras Tanura. Got frineds in all of them. Hope for the best.