04 June 2004

by Anai Rhoads

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Veriana Media - Despite a U.S. warning to Americans to leave the Kingdom of Bahrain, the prime minister insists the country is safe and dismisses the U.S. intelligence reports.

"This is only an anticipatory warning based on information the US government had received," a senior official of the Bahraini Foreign Ministry told the Gulf News Sunday.

Family members of the U.S. embassy staff and non-essential workers were given voluntary release on Saturday to leave the country. The U.S. has offered to pay for the travel expenses. A mandatory 30-day evacuation for all other Americans was approved by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Sunday.

The U.S. State Department released a "stop-movement" Thursday, to all Americans who had plan to enter Bahrain.

"The Department has received information that extremists are planning attacks against U.S. and other Western interests in Bahrain. Credible information indicates that extremists remain at large and are planning attacks in country," the U.S. State Department's statement said.

The Department of Defence (DoD) created four threat levels[1] that the military goes by, called THREATCONS. The intelligence has moved the level from "Threat Condition Bravo" to "Threat Condition Charlie":

• THREATCON Alpha: General threat of possible terrorist activity against personnel and facilities.

• THREATCON Bravo: Increased and more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists.

• THREATCON Charlie: Incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action against personnel and facilities is imminent.

• THREATCON Delta: Immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is likely.

Six terror-suspects were detained in Bahrain on 22 June and released the following day due to lack of evidence. The men have been identified as Bassam Abdullah Bukhowa, Bassam al-Ali, the group's alleged leader, brothers Yasser Abdullah Kamal and Omar Abdullah Kamal, Mohedin Mahmud Khan, and his brother Ali Mahmud Khan. The U.S. believes the men may be plotting attacks in or around Bahrain.

"In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, terrorists have targeted residential housing compounds using vehicle bombs, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries, including to American citizens," State Department officials said.

This is the second time the U.S. has asked Americans to leave the Gulf island. December 2003 Washington warned of similar attacks.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet and to an estimated 5,000 Americans. The Fleet has more than a dozen warships on patrol in the Persian Gulf.

Over 600 are expected to return to the States until the restrictions are lifted.

Related Link:

Americans Asked to Leave Saudi Arabia

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