Fearing a backlash of the assassination of Palestinian leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the US renewed its travel alert to its citizens and also shut down its missions in the UAE on Wednesday.
The US mission in the Emirates consists of a chancery at Abu Dhabi and a consular service office at Dubai and according to the announcement both were not working on Wednesday.
Reasons for the embassy closure were conflicting. While the American media quoted a US spokeswoman attributing it to "specific threat" received on Wednesday morning, the "Embassy News" on the net said it had no "specific threat information against the American community in the UAE".
However, the embassy based it decision on "a new world-wide caution" issued by Washington following the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza, adding that it would be "assessing its security posture on Thursday-Friday weekend with regard to the reopening on Saturday".
The Americans conform to the local practice on the weekly off-days and close on Thursdays and Fridays and instead work on Saturdays and Sundays in most of the Middle Eastern nations.
The websites managed by the US State Department and the international news media hummed with fast traffic warning Americans abroad of the "heightened threat of terrorist attacks against US citizens" and property.
For first time public warnings to Americans abroad hinted at the possible use of "non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents" in addition to conventional weapons such as explosive devises that were considered of a more immediate threat in many areas.
Washington has also alerted them about potential demonstrations and "violent reactions" in response to the death of Hamas chief.
A public announcement put on the web by the State Department spoke of "credible information" indicating plans for attacks against the American interests in the Middle East.
Those may include suicide operations, bombings, hijackings or kidnappings and may involve air and ground transportation and marine interests.
"We also cannot rule out that al-Qaeda will attempt a catastrophic attack within the United States," the warning added.
The advisory also requires the Americans intending to travel to the "Middle East or North Africa (that includes Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria) to consult the State Department's country-specific warnings.
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