U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Says Over 40 Americans Hurt

Reuters ^ | Mon May 12, 2003 11:12 PM ET

[IoCaster]

U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Says Over 40 Americans Hurt

Mon May 12, 2003 11:12 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert W. Jordan told CNN television network on Tuesday that over 40 U.S. citizens had been hospitalized in explosions which ripped through Westerners' compounds in Riyadh overnight.

"We have somewhat over 40 Americans hospitalized at this stage," he said.

He said he thought it was entirely likely there would be more casualties and that there were a "fair number of other nationals" injured and perhaps killed.

The blasts came hours before Secretary of State Colin Powell was due in the Saudi capital. They seemed to be the latest anti-Western attacks in the kingdom that is the birthplace of Islam -- and also of Osama bin Laden, head of the al Qaeda network blamed for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Jordan told CNN he was receiving regular reports from the hospitals and that the State Department was considering an evacuation. He urged all Americans who did not have business in the kingdom to leave Saudi Arabia.

He said concerned family members of Americans could contact the State Department at a toll free number in the United States at 1 888 407 4747 or for those calling from outside the United States at 317 472 2328.

© Copyright Reuters 2002. All rights reserved. Any copying, re-publication or re-distribution of Reuters content or of any content used on this site, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent of Reuters.

Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Reuters, the members of its Group and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

© Reuters 2002. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

[stlnative]

Blasts Kill 1 Before Powell's Saudi Visit

[JustPiper]

Anyway to get a list sometime?

[stlnative]

It is probably too early for a list but you may want to check here eventually

[stlnative]

or here

[JustPiper]

Thanx Brigette, saved them both!

[Timesink]

That's interesting. Why the Corps of Engineers? Were a lot of them living in the compound(s)?

[green team 1999]

bump

[xm177e2]

Who are the 'mericans in Riyadh? They're about as "American" as communist collaborators during the Cold War. These are people motivated by greed who don't care that they are helping to prop up the bastard Saudi regime (15/19). They should have known this was coming. Saudi Arabia is not a fun place for Americans to be.

But there will be progress: this time, the Saudis will arrest ARAB TERRORISTS instead of arresting Americans/Europeans and framing them as being part of a "smuggling" ring to cover up the fact that terror groups operate within the Magic Kingdom.