WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department updated its travel warning for Saudi Arabia Wednesday, saying the U.S. government has received information about threats involving Western targets, including some directed at civil aviation.
The suspension was also in response to a document seized in a car during anti-terror searches in Saudi Arabia that detailed the casing of the airport, a U.S. official told CNN.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/08/13/britain.ba/index.html LONDON, England (CNN) – A plot by a suspected al Qaeda cell to target a British airliner was behind British Airways' decision Wednesday to immediately suspend flights to Saudi Arabia, a Saudi official has said.
Adel al-Jubeir, foreign policy adviser for Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, told CNN the threat to the airline was uncovered during recent raids on suspected al Qaeda terrorists in Saudi Arabia.
Among items seized in the raids were maps and documents that detailed the casing of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
"It was obvious that the target was a British airlines aircraft, and I believe British Airways made the decision on that basis to suspend operations," al-Jubeir said.
"We are determined to crush this organization," he added, referring to suspected al Qaeda cells in Saudi Arabia.
On Monday Saudi authorities arrested 10 people who they said were part of a terrorist cell.
They also conducted several raids in Riyadh Tuesday that resulted in the arrests of five terror suspects following a gun battle last several hours that left three Saudi police dead.
Al-Jubeir called the raids "a successful attempt by Saudi law enforcement authorities to break up a cell and arrest its members before they could do damage."
On Wednesday British Airways canceled all its flights from London's Heathrow airport to both Riyadh and Jeddah after discussions with UK government officials.
The airline said the suspension was expected to last for four days, amounting to six round-trips.
"As a matter of precaution, we have decided to suspend all flights to Saudi Arabia for the time being and we will continue to liaise closely with the British government," said Geoff Want, the airline's director of safety and security.
'Credible threats'
BA is the only UK airline to fly to Saudi Arabia.
British Airways' announcement that it was suspending its Saudi flights was followed by a new warning from the U.S. State Department advising Americans against traveling to Saudi Arabia, saying the U.S. government has received information about threats against Western targets.
"There is credible information that terrorists have targeted Western aviation interests in Saudi Arabia," the travel warning said.
"The U.S. government has received indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests, including the targeting of transportation and civil aviation." (U.S. warning)
A U.S. government official told CNN that Saudi authorities found some explosives in the raids, but did not elaborate.
Another U.S. official said there are "some security shortcomings" at the Riyadh airport. The official said that U.S. and British officials have been discussing the shortcomings of the airport with the Saudis.
But al-Jubeir took issue with that characterization, calling the airport "among the strictest in the world."
He said Saudi Arabia has beefed up security at the airport since the May 12 bombings in Riyadh targeted three compounds housing Westerners, killing 23 people, including nine Americans.
"We learn more as every day goes by," he said.
Another U.S. official said British Airways was specifically mentioned in materials seized by Saudi authorities during recent anti-terror arrests but didn't elaborate.