RIYADH/JEDDAH, 10 December 2004 — As normality hesitantly returned to the US Consulate neighborhood in Jeddah, a specialist team of US Marines arrived yesterday in the Red Sea city to beef up security at the consulate.

Andrew Mitchell, press attaché at the US Embassy in Riyadh, said the Marines would be deployed as a part of an exercise to reinforce security.

“They will have no other role”, he said, adding that the US missions in Riyadh and Dammam would reopen to public tomorrow. The Jeddah consulate will also reopen after the Marines are deployed.

The job of the FAST (Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams) force is to reinforce US diplomatic missions in times of crisis. FAST usually have around 50 members, while regular Marine forces which defend diplomatic missions are much smaller.

Mitchell also added that “security at all US missions in Saudi Arabia is being enhanced.”

The US military ordered FAST to Jeddah after five terrorists shot their way into the US Consulate on Monday, killing five non-American employees.

Four attackers were also killed in the three-hour siege and the fifth was injured and arrested.

The security “hut” that was burned during the attack is now replaced in military colors of khaki, green and brown. The security force patrolling the area is more than double the numbers prior to the attack.

The Hail Street US Consulate gate is replaced but dark shades show traces of the explosion. The glass at the entrance to the consulate remains pinched with bullet marks with the number of concrete blocks doubled around the consulate.

The streets are filled with traffic and residents are moving freely in the area. However the atmosphere is rife with differing vibes ranging from relief to fear.

Arab News visited the site and spoke to different people either working in the area or passing by.

“Everything’s normal, nothing’s changed,” said Deng Porteza, a florist at the flower shop in the Soliman Fakeeh Hospital parking lot. “Monday evening, the place was deserted. Tuesday there were a few customers,” he said. “But today everything’s back to normal.”

When asked whether he was afraid to be working so close to the site of the attack, he said: “I don’t feel any danger being around the US Consulate. It’s not going to happen every day. It’s just once.”

Others expressed contrary sentiments and thoughts. “That day a friend had called me up telling me not to go to work,” said the Bangladesh salesman Shahadat Hossain, at a kiosk selling chocolates and sweets near the hospital.

“I’m scared that it could happen again and I don’t want to die. I don’t feel safe at all working here.”

“It’s like people are in a trance-like state of aftershock but at the same time everyone wants to get back to normal,” said Fahda Abdulaziz after a meal at Chili’s — a restaurant on one of the streets around the US Consulate. “I made a point of coming here because the first instinct is to never come around here again. To get over something you’ve got to face it.”

Arab News noticed that the majority of those passing by the area all searchingly eyed the consulate.

“I’ve driven along this area countless times ever since Monday” said Abu Laith. “Still I can’t help looking each time. It’s just so hard to believe all that happened right here, on these streets, in this city. People died here but look at us all. Life goes on, I guess, it’s the way of life.”

Hail Street on which the US Consulate gate was invaded is open to cars. The mosque across the street from the US Consulate is also open for all prayer times. It has a bullet in its minaret.

“I’m afraid and still concerned,” said Misheal Al-Ahmadi, a 26-year old Saudi newly wed living in Al-Ruwais district close to the consulate.

“I’m afraid to pass the area because of consulate security and the thought that one might be caught on some suspicion or something. Why don’t they move from this area — safer for them and safer for us.”