U.S. closes embassies in Middle East; cautions travelers

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. State Department said Thursday it has decided to temporarily close all of its posts in the Middle East region Thursday through Sunday as a "prudent safety precaution" due to current heightened tensions and violence in the Mideast, especially in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Officials said the exceptions are the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem which will remain open only for "essential operations."

In addition the State Department said that US embassy employees have been told to keep their children out of school during this time.

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The decision to close more than a dozen embassies and consulates follows days of anti-American protests and demonstrations by Palestinians or Palestinian sympathizers.

In Damascus, Syria for instance, U.S. officials said by their count, an estimated 7,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators targeted the US embassy in violent demonstrations even though in the words of one State Department official "this was a demonstration that wasn't supposed to come to the embassy."

The embassy sustained only minor damage, but the official added that U.S. officials believed the "police may have been a bit slow" to respond.

Affected posts include: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beirut, Damascus, Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Sanaa - Yemen, Muscat - Oman, Abu Dhabi in UAE, Doha in Qatar, Manama in Bahrain, Kuwait City in Kuwait.

The State Department said many of these posts will reopen Monday, while others will reopen Tuesday following the Columbus Day holiday.

In addition the State Department said a number of other posts in other regions may also decide to suspend or limit service to the public as necessary.

The announcement of embassy and consulate closings follows a worldwide advisory issued Wednesday to all American citizens living or traveling overseas due to the continued violence in Israel and the West Bank/Gaza.

"The events of the past week in Israel and the West Bank/Gaza have raised the possibility that there may be protests in support of Palestinians throughout the Gulf Region or elsewhere," the announcement warned.

In its advisory, the State Department reminded all American citizens to "remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and to exercise caution."

The alert also advised Americans to avoid large crowds and gatherings, keep a low profile and vary routes and times of all required travel.

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U.S. State Department

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