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| Terror Threat Prompts U.S. to Close Diplomatic Missions | |
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| A terrorism threat has prompted the United States to close dozens of American diplomatic missions in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere through the weekend, American officials said Thursday. | A terrorism threat has prompted the United States to close dozens of American diplomatic missions in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere through the weekend, American officials said Thursday. |
| Officials gave few details about what prompted the move to close an unusually large number of American missions, but said there was “credible” information that an Al Qaeda regional affiliate might be plotting an attack sometime in the coming days. | Officials gave few details about what prompted the move to close an unusually large number of American missions, but said there was “credible” information that an Al Qaeda regional affiliate might be plotting an attack sometime in the coming days. |
| “It’s not often that we close a bunch of embassies at once,” said one official, adding that the threat was being taken particularly seriously by American intelligence agencies. | “It’s not often that we close a bunch of embassies at once,” said one official, adding that the threat was being taken particularly seriously by American intelligence agencies. |
| The official said that the State Department was planning to have nearly all American diplomatic facilities in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia closed through the weekend, including missions in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In much of the Muslim world, diplomatic facilities are generally closed on Friday and Saturday, but open on Sunday. | The official said that the State Department was planning to have nearly all American diplomatic facilities in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia closed through the weekend, including missions in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In much of the Muslim world, diplomatic facilities are generally closed on Friday and Saturday, but open on Sunday. |
| A State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, told reporters on Thursday that the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installations.” The State Department did not announce on Thursday which terror group might be plotting an attack, but American officials indicated that the threat originated from one of Al Qaeda’s regional affiliates. | A State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, told reporters on Thursday that the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installations.” The State Department did not announce on Thursday which terror group might be plotting an attack, but American officials indicated that the threat originated from one of Al Qaeda’s regional affiliates. |
| To date, the only Al Qaeda affiliate that has shown both a desire and an ability to attack American facilities overseas is Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group based in Yemen. | To date, the only Al Qaeda affiliate that has shown both a desire and an ability to attack American facilities overseas is Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group based in Yemen. |
| In a meeting at the White House on Thursday, President Obama met with Yemen’s president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. American and Yemeni officials said that counterterrorism operations in Yemen were among the main topics of the meeting. | In a meeting at the White House on Thursday, President Obama met with Yemen’s president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. American and Yemeni officials said that counterterrorism operations in Yemen were among the main topics of the meeting. |
| American drones have carried out three separate strikes in Yemen, over the past week according to Long War Journal, a Web site that tracks drone strikes. There have been 15 American drone strikes in Yemen this year, according to the site. | American drones have carried out three separate strikes in Yemen, over the past week according to Long War Journal, a Web site that tracks drone strikes. There have been 15 American drone strikes in Yemen this year, according to the site. |
| The closings come toward the end of the Ramadan holidays and the approaching one-year anniversary of the terror attack on Sept. 11, 2012, on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. | The closings come toward the end of the Ramadan holidays and the approaching one-year anniversary of the terror attack on Sept. 11, 2012, on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. |
| “This seems to be a late-Ramadan threat,” one senior American diplomat said. “We don’t have information on the specific details.” | “This seems to be a late-Ramadan threat,” one senior American diplomat said. “We don’t have information on the specific details.” |