Landing the Big One

Landing the Big One

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Security alert includes Red Sea

Noted here:
Security alert: The United States on Thursday updated its security alert for Americans in the Middle East and North Africa, including a warning on pirates in the southern Red Sea.A public announcement issued by the State Department urged Americans to maintain "a high level of vigilance" against the possibility of terrorist bombings, hijackings, kidnappings and assassinations in the region.
"While conventional weapons such as explosive devices are a more immediate threat in many areas, use of non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents, must be considered a possible threat," the department said.It said potential targets included aviation, ground transport and maritime facilities as well as tourist destinations such as Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort where at least 67 people died in a night of bombings last month.The announcement counseled Americans considering seaborne travel near the Horn of Africa or in the southern Red Sea to exercise "extreme caution" after several armed attacks and robberies by pirates over the last year.
"When transiting around the Horn of Africa or in the Red Sea near Yemen, it is strongly recommended that vessels travel in convoys and maintain good communications contact at all times," the department said.

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