Washington urges its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia

The US Department Of State has strongly urged the common American citizens to leave Saudi Arabia, while it announced plans to evacuate some of its diplomats from this country for security reasons.

In a warning over travel to Saudi Arabia, after it had decided to return back some non basic American diplomats and all family members of the embassy employees to the US; the department said " we do urge the common American citizens currently in the Kingdom to evacuate."

The department said that the American government received confidential information indicating that extremists " are preparing to launch more attacks at American and western interests." The US secretary of state Colin Powell said yesterday that his country will ask the non- basic American diplomatic Corps to leave Saudi Arabia over fears of the security situation.

This matter, however, includes families of all employees of the American embassy in Riyadh and its two consulates in al-Dahran and Jeddah, as explained by the Department Of State.

This is, however, the first time within 12 months in which American diplomats are instructed to leave Saudi Arabia because of probable risks against their security.