DAMMAM, 2 February 2003 — Saudis and expatriates in the Eastern Province are sore over the US directive to its diplomats advising them to send their families back home. They say that the US authorities are now creating panic among the citizens and residents in Gulf countries.
Many people also ridiculed a clarification from an unnamed Jeddah-based US diplomat of wire reports that the State Department had told American private citizens to leave the Kingdom. The unnamed diplomat had said that the travel warning was issued because of concerns that those who wished to leave might not find seats on flights during and after Haj if they decided to leave then. Many Saudis and expatriates felt that it was a childish explanation, unbecoming of a diplomat. “If that is the concern then how come the State Department never issued such travel warnings in the past pilgrimage or during Eid Al-Fitr holidays?,” said Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a Saudi businessmen.
“Such warnings tend to create panic among people, especially expatriates from the Third World countries,” he said. “Certainly, such warnings send out the wrong message to people,” he added.
Diplomats of several Asian countries in Riyadh have advised their citizens not to panic and assured that their missions are prepared for any kind of eventuality. An Indian diplomat said that the envoys of Indian missions in the Gulf region met their country’s Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday in Abu Dhabi and discussed contingency plans.
A Philippine diplomat said that they did not envisage a situation such as in the 1990-91 Gulf War. During that war, the main theater of operation was Dhahran and as a result the people in the Eastern Province witnessed several Scud attacks. But this time, the situation is entirely different and the US forces will not be operating from Saudi soil in the event of a US- led attack on Iraq.
Despite US war mongering and travel advisory, complete calm prevails in the province. Life is normal and the market places are as crowded as ever. No airline has reported unusual booking. “We have usual Haj holiday rush, nothing extraordinary,” said the manager of an airline operating on the Asian sector.
Airlines operating on the European sector also confirmed that there was no unusual rush. “There is no panic booking, not even from American nationals,” said an airline manager.
Saudis and expatriates say that they do not fear war. “Why should people in Saudi Arabia be afraid? The Kingdom is not involved either way,” said Rahat Ali, a Pakistani engineer.
