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US orders departures from Sudan and Tunisia
Source: Agencies |
September 17, 2012, Monday
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THE US State Department has ordered the departure of all family members and non-essential US government personnel from its embassies in Sudan and Tunisia and warned US citizens against any travel to the two countries due to security concerns over rising anti-American violence.
"Given the security situation in Tunis and Khartoum, the State Department has ordered the departure of all family members and non-emergency personnel from both posts, and issued parallel travel warnings to American citizens," said department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Saturday.
In Tunisia, the warning advised Americans that the international airport in Tunis was open and encouraged all US citizens to leave on commercial flights. It said Americans who chose to remain in Tunisia should use extreme caution and avoid demonstrations.
On Friday, protesters climbed into the US Embassy in Tunis, torching cars in the parking lot, trashing the entrance building and setting fire to a gym and a neighboring American school that is now unusable.
In Sudan, the warning said that while the Sudanese government has taken steps to limit the activities of terrorist groups, some remain and have threatened to attack Western interests. The terrorist threat level remains "critical" throughout Sudan, the department said. It noted that US officials are already required to travel in armored vehicles and to get permission to travel outside Khartoum, where crowds torched part of the German Embassy and tried to storm the US Embassy on Friday.
A US official said on Saturday that Sudan's government is holding up the deployment of an elite Marine team the US planned to send to Khartoum to boost security at the US Embassy.
US has already deployed counter-terrorism Marine units to Libya and Yemen and stationed two destroyers off the North African coast.
But Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti rejected a US request to send special forces to protect the Khartoum embassy, the official SUNA news agency said.
In cities across the Muslim world protesters have vented their fury at the "Innocence of Muslims" - an amateur film produced in the United States - by targeting US symbols ranging from embassies and schools to fast food chains.
Protests erupted again yesterday, with hundreds of students pouring into the streets of Kabul shouting anti-US slogans.
Meanwhile, Libyan President Mohammed Magarief said about 50 people have been arrested in connection with the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi last week, which he said was planned by foreigners linked to al-Qaida.
"Given the security situation in Tunis and Khartoum, the State Department has ordered the departure of all family members and non-emergency personnel from both posts, and issued parallel travel warnings to American citizens," said department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Saturday.
In Tunisia, the warning advised Americans that the international airport in Tunis was open and encouraged all US citizens to leave on commercial flights. It said Americans who chose to remain in Tunisia should use extreme caution and avoid demonstrations.
On Friday, protesters climbed into the US Embassy in Tunis, torching cars in the parking lot, trashing the entrance building and setting fire to a gym and a neighboring American school that is now unusable.
In Sudan, the warning said that while the Sudanese government has taken steps to limit the activities of terrorist groups, some remain and have threatened to attack Western interests. The terrorist threat level remains "critical" throughout Sudan, the department said. It noted that US officials are already required to travel in armored vehicles and to get permission to travel outside Khartoum, where crowds torched part of the German Embassy and tried to storm the US Embassy on Friday.
A US official said on Saturday that Sudan's government is holding up the deployment of an elite Marine team the US planned to send to Khartoum to boost security at the US Embassy.
US has already deployed counter-terrorism Marine units to Libya and Yemen and stationed two destroyers off the North African coast.
But Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti rejected a US request to send special forces to protect the Khartoum embassy, the official SUNA news agency said.
In cities across the Muslim world protesters have vented their fury at the "Innocence of Muslims" - an amateur film produced in the United States - by targeting US symbols ranging from embassies and schools to fast food chains.
Protests erupted again yesterday, with hundreds of students pouring into the streets of Kabul shouting anti-US slogans.
Meanwhile, Libyan President Mohammed Magarief said about 50 people have been arrested in connection with the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi last week, which he said was planned by foreigners linked to al-Qaida.
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