Warden Message from American Embassy – Riyadh

This message should be taken as an alert and not as an alarm.  And this is a good time to remember that if you are an expat national in the Kingdom, you should register with your home country embassy in the event of any kind of incident.

Embassy of the United States of America

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

WARDEN MESSAGE

August 13, 2008

The Embassy requests that wardens pass the following message in its entirety to members of the American Community:

The U.S. Embassy Riyadh has received information regarding an alleged, non-specific threat to Westerners in downtown Riyadh, KSA, possibly during the weekend of 14-17 August, 2008.  We have no further details regarding this information at this time; however the Embassy recommends American citizens living in Saudi Arabia consider this information and take appropriate personal security precautions.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the State Departments Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, including the Travel Warning for Saudi Arabia, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. Holidays).

American citizens are reminded to keep their registration up-to-date.  See https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ for registration information.

To hear recordings of the most recent security information, you may call the Embassy in Riyadh at +966-1-488-3800 and press 6 for regional or worldwide security information or press 7 for “Travel Warning for Saudi Arabia”.  You can also review earlier Warden Messages at http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/service/advisories-for-americans-in-ksa/warden-messages.html.

No. 11/2008

American citizens are reminded to keep their registration up-to-date.  See https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ for registration information.

You can also review earlier Warden Messages at http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/service/advisories-for-americans-in-ksa/warden-messages.html.

General Inquiries: [email protected]

ACS Website: http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/service.html

Usama bin Laden and 9/11

Orbit News recently had a short documentary on international terrorism and focused on Usama bin Laden.  Usama bin Laden…where does one start? 

 

The documentary began with scenes from 9/11 but then faded back over time to history to the Soviet-Afghan war.  The documentary explained why many “Afghan Arabs” chose to leave their home countries and join the surge of freedom fighters who wished to prevent a communist invasion within Islamic Afghanistan.  UBL was one of those freedom fighters, one of those Afghan Arabs.  At the end of the Soviet Afghan War, UBL went to Sudan and Saudi Arabia for a period of time.  UBL disliked America for its continued support to Israel which in turn (in his eyes) continued to bring down the Palestinian people.  The World Trade Center was always viewed as the symbol of economic power and US prosperity and therefore was a target for destruction. 

 

Eventually Saddam invaded Kuwait.  US forces came to assist and were based in Saudi Arabia from where they launched their offensive.  According to the Orbit News documentary, this was the beginning of the first steps towards 9/11 with the US troops remaining in the Kingdom.  UBL took that as the highest of all insults to have infidels who supported Israel on his most holy of lands.  As a result, he wanted to hit and hit hard at the infidels as well as the Saudi Royal Family who allowed such actions to happen.  Ultimately UBL’s Saudi citizenship was revoked and he again took refuge in Sudan.  But after intense US pressure, Sudan expelled UBL where he returned and based himself in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  He was welcomed in Jalalabad where his views were aligned with those of the Taliban now ruling over Afghanistan.  He was allowed to form his bases and training camps and solidify his network as well as plan and mount his operations.

 

Now I have obviously summarized and shortened (a lot) the background and history of UBL.  This post could go on in many different directions and for many pages.  After all, so many books have been published on UBL.

 

My question is, should his tapes and messages continue to be broadcast?  Do his messages come under “freedom of the press and the right to have views aired?”  And what, if any, impact do his recorded messages continue to have?

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