US Consulate Reopens to Public in Jeddah

JEDDAH, 30 January 2005 — The US Consulate General in Jeddah reopened to the public yesterday after being closed for nearly two months following a deadly terrorist attack on it last Dec. 6.

“I’m glad that the Jeddah consulate is functioning normally again. It will be open during its usual hours and will provide the full range of services,” said US Ambassador James Oberwetter in a statement issued by the US Embassy in Riyadh.

Both US citizens and Saudis had voiced annoyance at having to go to the US Embassy in Riyadh to apply for visas and other services while the consulate was closed, but understood that a security upgrade had to be performed. Within days of the attack, a special contingent of 50 US Marines was deployed to the consulate to provide extra security.

Five heavily armed Saudis attacked the consulate last December, shooting their way into the consulate through its Hail Street entrance. They burned down a temporary structure that housed US Marines and killed five non-American staff after using many of them as human shields.

Saudi Special Forces killed three of the attackers after a pitched gun battle that lasted around three hours, while two others were injured. One of the injured attackers later died in custody. The attackers were members of Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda Saudi branch.

The terrorists never managed to breach the main consular building, but fired repeatedly at the front bulletproof glass doors and at a side entrance. Thick, steel doors have now replaced the glass doors.

Additional concrete roadblocks have been placed on Hail Street to protect that entrance to the consulate.

Visa seekers from the Western Region were seen lining up early yesterday at the consulate’s gates to present their applications, according to the embassy’s statement.

“We are delighted that the consulate has reopened,” said Carol Kalin, US Embassy spokeswoman, in a phone interview with Arab News. “American citizen’s services, the visa section, public diplomacy and our liaising with the Saudi government have all resumed in Jeddah.”