Washington withdraws some of its diplomats from Riyadh; Kuwait tightens security measures because of conditions in Iraq , Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia-USA, Politics, 4/17/2004

Kuwait has tightened security measures around key institutions along its borders in precaution of the likely reflections in the country to the situations in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

A security official asked to be anonymous said that the security forces run patrols along the joined borders with Iraq in order to prevent any sneaking to Kuwait following the striking attacks in Falujja city and the crisis between the Shiite leader Muqtada al- Sader and the occupation forces led by the USA.

The official added that the pace of clashes in Saudi Arabia between the Islamists and the security forces caused the Kuwaiti authorities to tighten security measures.

These Kuwaiti measures, however, come at a time when the authorities try to put an end to the state of tension between the Sunni and the Shiite in Kuwait. By the beginning of this month the Kuwaiti prime minister met with Shiite and Sunni figures in the course of the intensive efforts to end tension between the two sects in Kuwait. Shiite community in Kuwait represents one third of the population estimated at 900,000 inhabitants.

Meantime, the US Department Of State asked its non- basic diplomats and members of the families of the embassy employees to leave the Kingdom because of increasing security fears. This order includes the families of the American embassy employees in Riyadh and the two consulates in al Dahran and Jeddah cities, as explained by the Department Of State in a statement.

The department also urged the American citizens to postpone their visit to Saudi Arabia and recommended the Americans currently visiting the kingdom to leave it.

The warning statement came hours after the US secretary of state Colin Powell said on Thursday that the situation in the Kingdom is "annoying." He said "we are concerned because of the increase in the level of security threat, according to information we have received.. and therefore we order for evacuation."

Previous Stories:
  Washington urges its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia   (4/16/2004)
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