US shuts down Mideast missions amid alleged Al-Qaeda threat

In an unprecedented move, the United States closed down 25 embassies and consulates worldwide Sunday over terror threats from Al-Qaeda. The closed diplomatic missions included the three US missions in Saudi Arabia.
The move came after officials picked up increased activity signals from Al-Qaeda in Yemen, in which multiple sources revealed that an attack plan on American targets could be in its final stages.
“The US Embassy in Riyadh and its consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran were closed,” confirmed a US diplomat on condition of anonymity. Police presence around the US Embassy in Riyadh and the entire Diplomatic Quarters in the capital was robust on Sunday as a worldwide travel alert remained in force because of the terrorist threat.
Asked about the possible extension of the closure during the week, the diplomat said: “We will go by the instructions of the US State Department while we assess the security situation in the region.”
The details of the US State Department’s statement and travel advisory are posted on the website of the Riyadh-based embassy, he added. The travel alert is set to expire on Aug. 31, and stems from alleged threats from Al-Qaeda.
The alert said the public transport system and other tourist infrastructure could be targets of terrorist attacks. It was recommended that the US citizens register their travel plan with the consular section of the US Embassy using the State Department’s travel registration website, to enable travelers to receive alerts promptly.
The public communication area has been extended through Twitter and Facebook, according to the statement. Staff at UK embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Iraq have also been advised to exercise “extra vigilance,” said the UK Foreign Office, in a statement released Sunday. “Follow local media and be alert to local and regional developments, which might trigger public disturbances,” said the statement.
Most of the US missions closed are located in Muslim countries and are usually open on Sundays.
Security alerts by the US and Interpol prompted the closure. Interpol issued a global security alert on Saturday after jailbreaks freed hundreds of militants recently. On July 22, more than 500 prisoners, including senior Al-Qaeda figures, escaped from Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. On July 27, more than 1,000 detainees escaped from detention in Benghazi. And, a Taleban attack on a prison facility in northwest Pakistan on July 30 freed more than 250 prisoners.