RIYADH, 31 October 2004 — A senior American official said here yesterday that the new travel warning issued by the US State Department is unrelated to any specific threat perception during the holy month of Ramadan.
Carol Kalin, director of public affairs at the US Embassy, said “the latest travel warning was a regular update to inform US citizens that the American mission in Saudi Arabia remains an unaccompanied post as a result of continued security concerns”.
“This security advisory is not based on any specific security threat,” said Kalin when asked about specific reasons or imminent terror attacks perceived by the US mission or State Department for updating the travel warning.
She said that the advisory, an update of Aug. 12 warning, is for all US citizens living in Saudi Arabia and other countries. The embassy said the security advisories were issued and updated due to targeted attacks against Americans in the past and the continuing threat to their safety.
According to the new travel warning, the Department of State warns US citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia and private Americans currently in the Kingdom have been strongly urged to depart. According to the new security advisory, US citizens are reminded of the potential for further terrorist actions against them abroad, including in the Arabian Gulf region.
