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U.S. Embassy to close Saudi offices

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia will close Monday and Tuesday because of a threat against U.S. government buildings, the embassy said Sunday.
Security vehicle is stationed at entrance of diplomatic quarters in Riyadh
A security vehicle is stationed at the entrance to diplomatic quarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.Zainal Abd Halim / Reuters
/ Source: The Associated Press

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia will be closed Monday and Tuesday because of a threat against U.S. government buildings, the embassy said Sunday.

In a statement, the embassy said mission personnel will limit their nonofficial travel during the next two days and urged Americans to keep “a high level of vigilance.” The statement did not elaborate on the nature of the threat.

“The American Embassy in Riyadh advises all American citizens living in Saudi Arabia that, in response to a threat against U.S. government buildings in the kingdom, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and the U.S. consulate generals in Jiddah and Dhahran will be closed on Aug. 8 and 9,” the statement said.

It reminded Americans that, in the past, terrorist groups have targeted housing compounds and other establishments where Westerners may be located.

“American citizens are ... advised to exercise caution and maintain good situational awareness when visiting commercial establishments frequented by Westerners or in primarily Western environments,” the statement added.

It was the second warning in two weeks.

New warning follows July advisory
On July 25, the embassy warned Americans that militants likely were plotting new terrorist  attacks in the kingdom. It said U.S. military personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia had been instructed to suspend all off-duty leisure travel outside of their work or housing stations.

Since May 2003, Islamic militants have carried out numerous suicide bombings, including on Western housing compounds, and kidnappings and have regularly battled security forces. The attacks have been blamed on al-Qaida and its allies.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Prince Saud said Sunday that relations between the Saudi and U.S. governments had improved tremendously since the Sept. 11 attacks, in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis.

But, on the unofficial level, ties had not returned to the degree of trust that existed before the attacks, he said.

“The relationship has tremendously improved,” Saud said at a news conference. “Whether it has returned to the same level as it was before in public opinion in the United States is debatable.

Saud praises Cheney for condolence trip
“We are doing everything that we can to help and encourage the trust that existed before between the two countries in public opinion.”

Saud said Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent trip to the kingdom to offer his condolences on the death of King Fahd “could only help” improve ties.

Relations between Riyadh and Washington suffered after the Sept. 11 attacks masterminded by the Saudi-born Osama bin Laden. Some U.S. officials blamed the kingdom’s austere branch of Islam, known as Wahhabism, for encouraging hatred of the West, Christians and Jews.

Saudi Arabia believed it was being unjustly blamed for the actions of bin Laden, who seeks to topple the Al Saud monarchy.

“The objective of the whole action of the terrorists in that horrendous act of murdering and mayhem of innocent people was to create this split,” he said.

Minister wants ‘strongest’ ties with Iraq
Saud said there will be no change in the kingdom’s domestic and foreign policies under King Abdullah, who succeeded the late King Fahd on Monday. He said the kingdom wants the “strongest possible relationship” with neighboring Iraq.

“We are not looking for a role to play in Iraq,” he said. “We are willing to act in a manner that is helpful to Iraq from the Iraqi perspective, if they so wish.”

Saud reiterated there is continuous cooperation and contact between Saudi Arabia and Britain on terrorist-related issues.

“There’s a committee working here to pass information back and forth,” said Saud, when asked if the kingdom is passing information to Britain on a possible Saudi connection to the July bombings in London.

“I’m sure there [is] some information that may be linked to the events in England.”

The minister said Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, the kingdom’s envoy to Italy, has been nominated to replace Prince Turki as ambassador to London. Turki has been named ambassador to Washington.