State Department advises nonemergency diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar

Associated Press / SFGate

[RCW2001]

BARRRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer Wednesday, February 12, 2003 ©2003 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/02/12/national1927EST0836.DTL

(02-12) 16:27 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The State Department is advising nonessential U.S. diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The advice is based on anti-American sentiment in the region, a U.S. official said Wednesday.

All three countries are expected to play supporting roles in the event of a U.S. military campaign in Iraq.

Family members of U.S. diplomats in Qatar and Bahrain were also advised to depart. The government will pay for their travel home as well as for departing diplomats in all three countries.

Family members of U.S. diplomats in Saudi Arabia had already been advised to leave the country.

Last year, the department spent more than $2.6 million to evacuate 13 diplomatic posts overseas for security reasons. The year before, it cost more than $3 million to evacuate 16 posts, and in 2000 eight posts were evacuated at a cost of $565,369, the department said.

In what is called an authorized departure, the department advises -- but does not compel -- nonessential diplomats and the families of diplomats to leave a country.

The department pays the air fare and daily living expenses.

Last Friday, the department advised nonessential U.S. diplomats and family members to leave Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Private U.S. citizens also were advised to leave those countries and Americans were cautioned not to travel to Israel.

At the same time, the department urged Americans to stay away from Iraq and said it was closing the Polish office in Baghdad that provided consular service to Americans in the absence of U.S. relations with Iraq.

U.S. citizens in Iraq were urged to leave.

Thousands of Americans, including private citizens, could be involved, department spokesman Richard Boucher said Monday. There are no figures available on how many have chosen to leave and at what cost.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Net: State Department: www.state.gov ©2003 Associated Press

[Stopislamnow]

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[PoisedWoman]

The State Department has issued travel warnings for the following countries, listed in order of date warning was issued. Apparently we can still enjoy a vacation in lovely North Korea.

Syria - 2/7/03
Lebanon - 2/7/03
Jordan - 2/7/03
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza - 2/7/03
Iraq - 2/7/03
Algeria - 2/3/03
Kuwait - 1/30/03
Saudi Arabia - 1/30/03
Zimbabwe - 1/27/03
Liberia - 1/17/03
Afghanistan - 12/27/02
Tajikistan - 12/20/02
Venezuela - 12/20/02
Cote d'Ivoire - 12/9/02
Lebanon - 12/9/02
Yemen - 11/30/02
Central African Republic - 10/31/02
Indonesia - 10/19/02
Libya - 10/7/02
Somalia - 8/23/02
Angola - 8/23/02
Pakistan - 8/12/02
Burundi - 8/9/02
Nigeria - 8/8/02
Sudan - 7/9/02
Colombia - 7/3/02
Congo-Kinshasa - 7/1/02
Pakistan - 6/26/02
Bosnia & Herzegovina - 6/4/02
Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of) - 5/21/02
Iran - 1/30/02

[yonif]

What kind of American would be living or visting Libya? He shouldn't be an American then, cause he would be stripped of his citizenship.

[houstonian]

Add Bahrain and Qatar to your list.

See the full list here .

[PoisedWoman]

That long list includes such dire warnings as Beware of pickpockets (Italy).....the short list is terrorist related and came from the same site.

I am not sure that Americans are safe anywhere these days.

A State Dept note that applies to all travel outside the US that really is helpful is: "medical evacuation to the United States may cost well in excess of $50,000. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties, whereas travelers who have purchased overseas medical insurance have found it to be life-saving when a medical emergency has occurred..."

American Express offers an emergency medical policy for about $100 per year that covers evacuations, and even flying relatives in from the USA if necessary. Such a deal!

[houstonian]

Yes, I would prefer to put the animals rather than the citizens in the cages.

If your own insurer lacks it, the American Express policy is well worth the small cost for travellers. I don't know if it applies to expats.