It's getting scary around the world. My attorneys sent me this e-mail this morning:
March 20, 2003
Consulates in Pakistan, Syria and Israel Suspend Visa Services; DOS
Warns of Additional Embassy Closings in Worldwide Caution
The Department of State (DOS) announced today that consular posts in
Pakistan and Syria have closed temporarily and suspended public
services, including visa issuance, for security reasons. The U.S.
Embassy in Tel Aviv has suspended visa services as well, although it
presently will continue to provide services to American citizens. In
addition to posts in Pakistan, Syria and Israel, embassy personnel in
Turkey and Kuwait have already been placed on ordered departure status.
Under this status, non-emergency personnel and their family members must
leave the country immediately. These departures may result in limitation
or suspension of additional embassy and consular services. It is
expected that consular posts will announce their resumption of services
and the rescheduling of missed visa interviews as soon as possible once
tensions subside.
U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of
alert and some have reduced their personnel to only those needed for
emergency purposes. Moreover, the Department of State issued a Worldwide
Caution yesterday in order to alert Americans of an increased potential
for anti-American violence as a result of the current military conflict
in Iraq. The Caution also warned of the possibility that U.S. facilities
overseas may temporarily close or suspend public services from time to
time for security reasons.
The worldwide situation remains rather fluid, and as the DOS continues
to develop information on possible security threats to Americans
overseas, it will share that information through its Consular
Information Program documents, available at http://travel.state.gov. The
Internet sites for embassies and consulates in specific areas are also
available through the State Department site. In addition to information
on the Internet, U.S. travelers can get up-to-date information on
security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and outside
the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at l-317-472-2328.
Listed below are links to the relevant announcements for the countries
above.
There where some analysis of that in the Swedish papers this morning. US send all the friendly nations a list of Iraqi's that they wanted expelled and sent back to Iraq from each allied nation. Sweden was asked to send 2 Iraqi diplomats home. Sweden sent them packing this past monday. Officially it was due to "espionage on iraqi refugees", unofficially it was because they where on the list of people the US wanted sent to Iraq so they can be confined.
The news in sweden says that this severly has crippled Saddams regime from doing anything coordinated, Saddam can perhaps make one move abroad but not something big and in many places.
US and the UK embassy is under heavy guard by swedish authorities as are all airports. One of the concerns is someone trying to take down a US plane using shoulder fired SAM's.
Personally, i am flying to Europe in 2 weeks. Got to keep the economy going and show these people that we are not afraid. I did the same thing during the previous gulf war.
Linear Mode
