[RoughDobermann]

That's all so far

[Bikers4Bush]

Whoa, what the hell is going on over there?

[Constitution Day]

BUMP

[billorites]

Gotta suck for all those families looking forward to spending Christmas in Mecca.

[concerned about politics]

Heard it on FOX, no details. Just "Get out."

[Frank_Discussion]

hm.

Holycrap.

[KantianBurke]

they must have been caught with stuffed animals

[lilylangtree]

all non-essentials, hmn. Includes Colin Powell too, huh?

[lelio]

How often does State do this "we urge people to leave X."? Course if I was in Saudi Arabia anything would spook me.

[dawn53]

Wasn't there a thread this morning that disclosed that the original target of the last bomb there was Americans, but the operatives altered the plans and attacked others instead?

I'll have to go looking for the link.

[Spok]

Can anyone tell me why we have non-essential diplomats? What exactly does their job description say?

[leadpenny]

Anyone know what kind of numbers we're talking about?

[ConservativeMan55]

Who needs DIP-lomats when you've got MOAB-plomats!





February 27, 2003: The U.S. Air Force is developing a new, 2nd generation, ten ton large, low air burst bomb. It will replace the older "Daisy Cutter" 7.5 ton bomb developed during the 1960s.

This was a 7.5 ton bomb using a semi-liquid explosive for clearing landing zones in the Vietnam jungle. The terms "Daisy Cutter" actually comes from the four foot probe at the bottom of the bomb which triggered the explosion without creating a crater (helicopters don't like to land in craters.)

The probe was later replaced with a radar altimeter fuze, but the nickname "Daisy Cutter" stuck. The official designation was BLU-82 (or "Big Blue"). Until the BLU-82 came along, the biggest non-nuclear explosion obtainable was with a FAE (Fuel Air Explosives).

FAE works by dropping a bomb that is actually a large aerosol dispenser. When the FAE "explodes" it first dispenses a large cloud of flammable material (anything like gasoline or propane will work). The cloud is then ignited and huge explosion results.

There's one drawback, the size and density of the aerosol cloud depends a lot on the wind, air temperature and humidity. So the power of the explosion will vary a lot. But it's difficult to get a FAE to work in a bomb larger than 2000 pounds.

The replacement for the BLU-82 bomb, called MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) simply uses nine tons of more powerful tritonal explosives, rather that 6.3 tons of the slurry of ammonium nitrate and powdered aluminum used in the BLU-82. In dry, dusty conditions, the Daisy Cutter produces a mushroom cloud similar to that created by a nuclear explosion (and for the same reason, the sheer size of the explosion creates an upward pull that sends up a "mushroom" of smoke and dust on a column of smoke).

In addition to a more powerful explosion, MOAB doesn’t need a parachute, like the Daisy Cutter, but uses a GPS (like JDAM) and an aerodynamic body to detonate the bomb at a precise area.

Thus the MOAB can be dropped from a higher altitude (like outside the range of machine-guns and rifles). Like the Daisy Cutter, MOAB is shoved out the back of a cargo aircraft (usually a C-130, but since the MOAB uses GPS and higher altitude drops, the C-17 can probably be used as well.) MOAB is a highly destructive and terrifying weapon.

If used in Iraq, it would demoralize any Iraqi troops in the vicinity who survived the explosion. The force of a MOAB explosion is sufficient to knock over tanks and kill any people within several hundred meters of the detonation.

[TomGuy]

Travel Warning United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Washington, DC 20520

---

This information is current as of today, Wed Dec 17 15:45:48 2003.

Saudi Arabia

December 17, 2003

This Travel Warning is being issued to alert Americans to the fact that, due to security concerns, the Department of State has authorized the departure of family members and non-emergency employees of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates on a voluntary basis. Private American citizens should evaluate their own security situations and should consider departing the country. This Travel Warning supersedes that of December 8, 2003.

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. Americans are reminded of the potential for further terrorist actions against U.S. citizens abroad, including in the Persian Gulf region. U.S. citizens who travel to, or remain in, Saudi Arabia despite this Travel Warning should register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or at the Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, and enroll in the warden system (emergency alert network) to obtain updated information on travel and security in Saudi Arabia.

Due to ongoing security concerns, on December 17, 2003, the Department of State authorized the departure, on a voluntary basis, of family members and non-emergency personnel of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia. U.S. consular personnel remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens.

The U.S. Government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests, including the targeting of transportation and civil aviation. American citizens in Saudi Arabia should remain vigilant, particularly in public places associated with the Western community.
Terrorists have attacked residential housing compounds in the Riyadh area in 2003. Credible information indicates that terrorists continue to target residential compounds in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Riyadh area, but also compounds throughout the country.

From time to time, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia may restrict the travel of official Americans or suspend public services for security reasons. In those instances, the Embassy and Consulates will keep the local American citizen community apprised through the Warden System and make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia continues to restrict the travel of its American employees and their dependents to residential compounds in the Riyadh area to between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Restrictions on travel to other destinations have been lifted in conjunction with the Department’s approval of voluntary departure status. Warden messages can be found on the US Embassy Riyadh website: http://usembassy.state.gov/riyadh/

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers can also get up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. or Canada or on a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.

U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Saudi Arabia, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, and Middle East and North Africa Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov.

Return to Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings Page

[leadpenny]

This thread should be in Breaking News.

[Unknown Freeper]

This is already posted in breaking news.

[TexKat]

U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Saudi Arabia

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Nonessential American diplomats and the families of all U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia should leave, the State (news - web sites) Department said Wednesday, stepping up its warnings about risks in the country.

Private U.S. citizens should consider leaving as well, the department said. And Americans making plans to go to Saudi Arabia were advised to defer any such travel in light of "the potential for further terrorist activities."

The departure of U.S. officials and family members was not ordered, but was voluntary. Expenses were to be paid by the U.S. government.

Americans who travel to Saudi Arabia or remain there despite the warning were told to register with the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran so arrangements can be made to keep them up to date.

"The U.S. government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests," the department said. This includes the targeting of transportation, the statement said.

"American citizens in Saudi Arabia should remain vigilant, particularly in public places associated with the Western community," the department said.

Last month, in the latest of a string of terror incidents, a housing compound in Riyadh was bombed, killing 17 people and wounding more than 100. Police arrested a Saudi citizen believed to have helped smuggle in from Yemen the weapons used in the attack, the Saudi daily Okaz reported Wednesday.

American and Saudi officials blamed that attack and suicide bombings at three other housing projects in May on Saudi exile Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network. Thirty-five people, including nine attackers were killed in the May attacks.

Saudi officials say most of the weapons used in militant operations in Saudi Arabia — including the May suicide attacks — were smuggled from Yemen.

[angkor]

They did this in Indonesia after the Bali bombings.

State Dept. is not normally very prescient in anticipating actual dangers, but who knows, they could have something this time.

I've personally heard State employees declare "everything is A-OK" when I knew there was shooting happening realtime only a couple miles away.

[philetus]

All non-essential diplomats?
That would be all diplomats.

[Mo1]

Looks like things are gonna get real nasty over there

[Dead Dog]

Dead Dog Department urges all non essential diplomats and bureaucrats to get a real job.