RIYADH, 19 May 2005 — The United States has dropped yesterday a year-old warning it issued to its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia but said that they should still “defer non-essential” travel to the Kingdom because of security concerns and possible terrorist attacks.
The language used in the current advisory notice differs significantly from that of the April 2004 advisory, which said: “The Department of State warns US citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. Private American citizens currently in Saudi Arabia are strongly urged to depart.”
Robert Mueller, FBI director, in his May 12 press conference in the Saudi capital indicated that the travel warning had been toned down in the wake of significant progress made by the Kingdom in disabling Al-Qaeda over the last few months.
Andrew Mitchell, press attache at the US Embassy, confirmed that “the new travel warning of the US Department of State has been issued and is posted also on the embassy’s website,” but Mitchell did not elaborate.
Asked about any specific reason to issue the travel warning now, another US Embassy official Bob Keith said the travel advisory “is regularly reviewed by the US officials and subsequently upgraded or renewed on the basis of concerns.”
The new warning has been issued at a time when there is a marked growth in the tourist and business traffic between the US and Saudi Arabia. It also coincides with the visit of a huge Saudi delegation to the US.
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