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To: Cindy; Calpernia; Revel; Velveeta; nw_arizona_granny

Apologies if this has already been posted - but it sounds as if the US Embassy was one of 11 in Malaysia to receive a suspicious package today. I haven't seen this reported anywhere but its in today's FBIS report...

AFP: Eleven Embassies in Malaysia Receive 'Suspicious' Packages
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 T07:50:48Z

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 (AFP) - At least 11 foreign embassies in the Malaysian capital have been sent suspicious packages containing threatening letters linked to the treatment of Muslims, police said Wednesday.

The packages -- which also contained compact discs and an unidentified liquid -- were aimed at taking advantage of the security situation after the bomb attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali, police said.

Five missions -- the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Australia -- received packages on Wednesday bringing the number of missions hit by the scare to at least 11, Kuala Lumpur police chief Mustafa Abdullah told AFP.

"You have been infected with a biochemical weapon. Curse you for what you have done to the Muslim ummah," the note in each letter said, according to the police chief.
Abdullah said police believed the letters were a hoax and the substances were harmless. He accused those responsible of playing on heightened fears created by the weekend attacks in Bali which left 19 dead.

The bombing has been blamed on the Southeast Asian Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, which is accused of links to the Al-Qaeda network, and Indonesian police are hunting two Malaysian leaders of JI.

The Australian and British high commissions and the United States and French embassies told AFP suspicious packages had arrived on Wednesday morning.

Mustafa said the Russian embassy had also received a package.

"The packages contained a cd-rom together with a greenish liquid, similar to water coolant. We have sent the contents for analysis," Mustafa said.

A French embassy official said their security officers had examined an express mail package, which contained a compact disc wrapped in yellow plastic and had a postmark from the city of Kota Baru in northern Kelantan state.

The police and the hazardous materials unit were called.
US embassy officials also confirmed they received a "suspicious package" but they declined to give details.
Japan, Germany, Thailand, Canada, the Philippines, and Singapore all received parcels on Tuesday by express mail.

The Japanese embassy, the first to receive a package, was evacuated for several hours before police gave the all-clear.

Police have said the packages, delivered by express mail, appeared to originate from the central state of Selangor which surrounds Kuala Lumpur, as well as from Kelantan and northern Terengganu.

Diplomats said most packages contained a compact disc and liquid.

"It contained a broken CD and it was in a transparent envelope and surrounded by a small amount of liquid," said Che van Haastrecht, second secretary at the Canadian High Commission.

The police chief for the main embassy district, Kamal Pasha Jamal, said security had been stepped up following the incidents.

"Security at the embassies has been beefed up, we have deployed more police officers to enhance patrols in the areas," he said.

Most diplomats were tight-lipped about security measures Wednesday, but the Canadian, Singapore, French, Japanese, Thai, Australian, Philippine and British missions said they were open for business.

A Philippines embassy official said security had been tightened.

(Description of Source: Hong Kong AFP in English -- Hong Kong service of the independent French press agency Agence France-Presse)

Looks like Reuters is reporting it too:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-10-05T103456Z_01_MCC532989_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-MALAYSIA.xml&archived=False

Suspected hoax sparks security alert in Malaysia
Wed Oct 5, 2005 11:35 AM BST
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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A suspected hoax designed to sow fears of a chemical attack in Malaysia's diplomatic district struck at five more embassies on Wednesday, police and diplomats said.

Slim packages containing a yellow, oily liquid -- and in one case a powder -- have been delivered to at least 10 embassies in the past two days, with a message condemning the countries for mistreating Muslims, Kuala Lumpur's police chief said.

The U.S., British, French and Australian missions all said they had received the suspicious packages in the mail on Wednesday, but none of the missions were evacuated. The packages were handed over to police and sent for analysis.

The Bernama news agency said the Russian embassy also received a similar envelope. An embassy official, however, declined to comment.

"I think it's normal oil, it's nothing dangerous," Mustafa Abdullah told Reuters by phone from police headquarters.

The government said the country remained safe and that foreigners should not be unduly worried.

"Whatever precautionary measure that must be taken will be taken," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said. "Even after the September 11 (2001), there had been no backlash on foreign missions here."

Diplomats and police had already been put on alert after suicide bombings killed 22 people last Saturday on the resort island of Bali, in neighbouring Indonesia. The security scare coincided with the eve of Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month.

"Yes, we received this morning a CD with traces of yellow liquid inside," a spokesman for the Australian High Commission said.

The French embassy reported a similar discovery. "The police came to take a look and they took away the envelope. There was no evacuation," a French embassy spokeswoman said.

On Tuesday, the Japanese embassy was the first to notice the package and evacuated its staff while police and hazardous-chemicals experts swept through the building.

Within hours, similar packages were found at the Canadian, German, Singaporean, Philippine and Thai missions.

"The fact that this scare happened soon after the Bali attack is a warning signal. It may be innocent but we cannot take chances," Syed Hamid, the foreign minister, told reporters.

Police checked the liquid found in the Japanese embassy package and deemed it harmless, police chief Mustafa said on Tuesday, but checks were still being made on the other packages.

Mustafa and one diplomat said the packages contained a note accusing the respective countries of abusing Muslims.

Mustafa quoted one note as saying: "You have been infected with a biological and chemical weapon. May Allah curse you for what you have done to the Muslim ummah (community)."

The packages were all sent from Malaysian addresses, including the northeastern states of Kelantan and Terengganu, he said. These states are strongly Muslim.

Mustafa declined to speculate on who was behind the packages.

In March 2004, a small explosive device was hurled outside the Australian embassy in Kuala Lumpur but caused no injuries or damage. No one claimed responsibility and no arrests were made.


906 posted on 10/05/2005 1:13:08 PM PDT by StillProud2BeFree
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To: StillProud2BeFree

A big THANKS stillproud2befree.


912 posted on 10/05/2005 1:45:52 PM PDT by Cindy
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To: StillProud2BeFree

Thank you for the Embassy report.

There is no end to the threats is there?


917 posted on 10/05/2005 2:37:28 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (Lavender Essential Oil, should be in first aid kit,uses: headaches, sinus,insect bites,sore muscles)
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To: StillProud2BeFree

Thank you


921 posted on 10/05/2005 2:55:48 PM PDT by Revel
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To: StillProud2BeFree

Thanks very much for that info SP2BF.


941 posted on 10/05/2005 4:16:43 PM PDT by Oorang ( A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. -Goethe)
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