The United States has issued a terrorism alert to Americans in Saudi Arabia.
U.S. officials said the interrogation of Al Qaida insurgents by Saudi
security agents has uncovered plans to attack American or Western interests
in the kingdom. They said Americans were being tracked in Saudi Arabia and
targets designated.
On Monday, the U.S. embassy in Riyad called on Americans in the kingdom
to increase their vigilance. The embassy said "known terrorist operatives"
have been monitoring the movements of Americans and other Westerners in
Saudi Arabia in what could mark preparations for an attack.
Saudi Arabia has arrested nearly 300 suspected Al Qaida insurgents since
the May 12 suicide bombings at Western compounds in Riyad, Middle East Newsline reported. Last week, Saudi
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said the kingdom has arrested more
than 500 Islamic insurgency suspects since the Al Qaida strikes on New York
and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001.
"Recent information has come to the embassy's attention that known
terrorist operatives in Saudi Arabia have reference material identifying
popular trails and campsites in Saudi Arabia often used by Westerners," the
U.S. embassy said in an advisory. "It is unknown if this information is
linked to any ongoing operational planning by these terrorists."
Officials said the warning was the result of meetings between FBI agents
and their Saudi counterparts regarding material found in Al Qaida
strongholds in Jizan and other areas over the last month. They said the
warning stemmed from an assessment that Al Qaida continues to operate in the
kingdom despite the capture of at least six operational cells.
On Monday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder completed talks in the
kingdom that focused on the need for security cooperation with Saudi Arabia
that officials said could include intelligence exchange, technical
assistance and joint investigations. Schroeder said Bonn and Riyad want to
launch a range of activities meant to combat Islamic insurgency groups such
as Al Qaida.
