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U.S. moves some consular offices from Jerusalem after threats

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, August 8, 2002

The United States plans to move portions of its consulate out of the Arab-populated sector of Jerusalem amid rising threats of an Islamic attack.

The State Department said it would transfer media and other services from the consulate in the eastern and Arab-populated sector of Jerusalem to an undisclosed location. The department has been warning diplomats and staffers of the rising threat of Palestinian suicide attacks in Jerusalem.

"The move is solely intended to address significant security concerns, which we've been looking at for some time," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said on Tuesday. "We've been looking to relocate our consulate in east Jerusalem to a more secure site for several years. We do plan to move some of the operations of the consulate general to such a site."

The move would not affect the Jerusalem consulate in the western and Jewish-populated area of Jerusalem.

Earlier, the Israeli Ha'aretz daily said the United States would establish a new consular section in the western Jersualem neighborhood of Arnona.

The State Department has warned U.S. embassy staffers in Israel to avoid crowded areas and bus stations. U.S. diplomatic personnel have been banned from traveling on buses and require permission to travel to certain areas of Israel.

"U.S. government personnel in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza are under tight security controls, including prohibition of travel to the West Bank and Gaza," the department said in an Aug. 2 travel advisory. "Occasionally, U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to sections of Jerusalem, including areas in both West and East Jerusalem, depending on current security conditions."

In an unrelated development, the State Department plans to meet with a high-level Palestinian Authority delegation to discuss security and government reform. PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has convened what was termed an emergency meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss an Israeli security plan to return security duties to the PA.

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