RIYADH, 24 June 2004 — The British Embassy has denied reports that Britain has sent a 25-strong special forces team to Saudi Arabia to bolster security at the embassy and plan a possible mass evacuation of foreigners.
According to an AFP report attributed to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, “there is very serious nervousness about the situation in Saudi Arabia. The 25-man Special Air Service (SAS) team is backed by many more special forces in neighboring Qatar which could be called upon if the 20,000 British nationals in Saudi Arabia had to be withdrawn in a hurry.” It further added that the larger SAS force based in Qatar has been given diplomatic clearance by the Saudi authorities to move in should any threat develop against the embassy, seen as a prime target for militants linked to Al-Qaeda.
“There is no truth in the report,” said Barrie Peach, the press attache at the embassy. “We keep security at embassies including that in Riyadh under close review,” he added. Peach said that the embassy, like others around the world had what he described as “contingency plans,” but declined to say if these included the possible evacuation of British citizens.
The embassy in Riyadh is the largest British mission in the Middle East. It has its consulate in Jeddah and a trade office in the Eastern Province. “We are not accredited to any other countries in the region since each country has a British mission,” said Peach.
Asked about the new security arrangements in the British missions in the Kingdom, Peach said: “We cannot comment on details for obvious reasons. The welfare and safety of our staff is paramount.”
Last week, British Airways announced that its crews would no longer stay overnight in the Kingdom. The airline said it was eliminating its eight direct flights per week from London to Riyadh and Jeddah and re-routing them via Kuwait City. Staff will now spend the night in Kuwait to avoid the journey from a Saudi airport to a hotel. Fresh crews board aircraft in Kuwait for the short flight to Saudi Arabia, where they stop briefly before returning to London.
On Monday, the mission advised its nationals against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia. “Following terrorist attacks in April and May 2004, we continue to believe that terrorists are planning further attacks in Saudi Arabia,” its security warning said.
