WORLDWIDE CAUTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 079299

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: WORLDWIDE CAUTION


1. The Department of State has issued this Worldwide
Caution to update information on the continuing threat
of terrorist actions and violence against American
citizens and interests throughout the world. In some
countries, the worldwide recession has contributed to
political and economic instability and social unrest.
American citizens are reminded to maintain a high level
of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase
their security awareness. This replaces the Worldwide
Caution dated February 2, 2009 to provide updated
information on security threats and terrorist activities
worldwide.


2. The Department of State remains concerned about the
continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations,
and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and
interests overseas. Americans are reminded that
demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no
warning. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and
affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist
attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions,
including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics
including suicide operations, assassinations,
kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings. The July 17
bombing of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in
Jakarta, Indonesia, where at least nine people were
killed and six Americans were among the 50 or more
injured; the February 2009 kidnapping of an American
UNHCR official in Pakistan; the kidnapping of four
European tourists in January on the Mali-Niger border;
the kidnapping of two Canadian diplomats in Niger in
December 2008; and the kidnapping of NGO workers along
the Kenya-Somali border in July 2009 all illustrate the
continuing desire of extremists to strike Western
targets and perceived interests.


3. Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-
conventional weapons, and target both official and
private interests. Examples of such targets include
high-profile sporting events, residential areas,
business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of
worship, schools, public areas, and locales where
Americans gather in large numbers, including during
holidays. Terrorists attacked two hotels, a railway
station, restaurant, hospital, and other locations
frequented by Westerners in Mumbai, India, on November
26, 2008. Over 170 persons are believed to have been
killed, including six Americans, and hundreds were
injured. On September 20, 2008, terrorists bombed the
Islamabad Marriott Hotel killing two U.S. Department of
Defense employees and one Department of State
contractor. One private American sustained minor
injuries. A July 9, 2008, terrorist attack on Turkish
police guarding the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul,
Turkey, killed three police officers and wounded other
police personnel. The March 15, 2008, bombing of an
Italian restaurant in Islamabad, Pakistan, injured
several Americans.


4. Americans are reminded of the potential for
terrorists to attack public transportation systems.
Bombs exploded near city buses in Tripoli, Lebanon, on
August 13 and September 29, 2008, killing twenty-one
people. Other incidents include multiple anti-personnel
mine detonations on passenger buses in June 2008 in Sri
Lanka, multiple terrorist attacks on trains in India in
2006, the July 2005 London Underground bombings, and the
March 2004 train attacks in Madrid. Extremists also may
select aviation and maritime services as possible
targets, such as the August 2006 plot against aircraft
in London, or the December 2006 bomb at Madrid's Barajas

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International Airport. In June 2007, a vehicle was
driven into the main terminal at Glasgow International
Airport and burst into flames, but the bomb failed to
detonate.

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The Middle East and North Africa
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5. Credible information indicates terrorist groups seek
to continue attacks against U.S. interests in the Middle
East and North Africa. Terrorist actions may include
bombings, hijackings, hostage taking, kidnappings, and
assassinations. While conventional weapons such as
explosive devices are a more immediate threat in many
areas, use of non-conventional weapons, including
chemical or biological agents, must be considered a
possible threat. Terrorists do not distinguish between
official and civilian targets. Increased security at
official U.S. facilities has led terrorists and their
sympathizers to seek softer targets such as public
transportation, residential areas, and public areas
where people congregate, including restaurants, hotels,
clubs, and shopping areas.


6. In January 2009, unidentified gunmen opened fire
outside the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen. No injuries
were reported. On September 17, 2008, armed terrorists
attacked the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, killing
several Yemeni personnel, one embassy security guard,
and a few individuals waiting to gain entry to the
embassy. On January 15, 2008, a roadside explosion in
Beirut, Lebanon killed three Lebanese and injured an
American citizen. On December 11, 2007, two vehicle-
borne explosive devices were detonated at the UN
headquarters in Algiers and the Algerian Constitutional
Council. There were a series of bombings in Morocco in
March and April 2007, two of which occurred
simultaneously outside the U.S. Consulate General and
the private American Language Center in Casablanca.
Additionally, an attack took place on the American
International School in Gaza in April 2007. These
events underscore the intent of terrorist entities to
target facilities perceived to cater to Westerners.


7. Potential targets are not limited to those companies
or establishments with overt U.S. ties. For instance,
terrorists may target movie theaters, liquor stores,
bars, casinos, or any similar type of establishment,
regardless of whether they are owned and operated by
host country nationals. Due to varying degrees of
security at all such locations, Americans should be
particularly vigilant when visiting these
establishments.


8. The violence in Iraq and conflict between
Palestinians and Israelis has the potential to produce
demonstrations and unrest throughout the region. The
armed conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza
in December 2008 and January 2009 raised tensions and
sparked demonstrations throughout the world. The
Department of State continues to warn of the possibility
for violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests
in the region. Anti-American violence could include
possible terrorist actions against aviation, ground
transportation, and maritime interests, specifically in
the Middle East, including the Red Sea, Persian Gulf,
the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa.


9. The Department is concerned that extremists may be
planning to carry out attacks against Westerners and oil
workers on the Arabian Peninsula. Armed attacks
targeting foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia that
resulted in many deaths and injuries, including U.S.
citizens, appear to have been preceded by extensive
surveillance. On February 22, 2009, there was a bomb

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attack targeting a popular tourist destination in Cairo,
Egypt's Old City. Tourist destinations in Egypt
frequented by Westerners were also attacked in April
2006 resulting in many deaths and injuries, including
Americans. Extremists may be surveilling Westerners,
particularly at hotels, housing areas, and rental car
facilities. Potential targets may include U.S.
contractors, particularly those related to military
interests. Financial or economic venues of value also
could be considered as possible targets; the failed
attack on the Abqaiq oil processing facility in Saudi
Arabia in late February 2006 and the September 2006
attack on oil facilities in Yemen are examples.

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East Africa
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10. A number of al-Qaida operatives and other
extremists are believed to be operating in and around
East Africa. As a result of the conflict in Somalia,
some of these individuals may seek to relocate elsewhere
in the region. Americans considering travel to the
region and those already there should review their plans
carefully, remain vigilant with regard to their personal
security, and exercise caution. Terrorist actions may
include suicide operations, bombings, kidnappings, or
targeting maritime vessels. Terrorists do not
distinguish between official and civilian targets.
Increased security at official U.S. facilities has led
terrorists to seek softer targets such as hotels, beach
resorts, prominent public places, and landmarks. In
particular, terrorists and like-minded extremists may
target international aid workers, civil aviation, and
seaports in various locations throughout East Africa,
including Somalia. On July 17, three NGO workers were
kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from their base in
Mandera, Kenya, located on the border with Somalia.
Americans in remote areas or border regions where
military or police authority is limited or non-existent
could also become targets.


11. Americans considering travel by sea near the
Horn of Africa or in the southern Red Sea should
exercise extreme caution, as there has been a notable
increase in armed attacks, robberies, and kidnappings
for ransom at sea by pirates in recent months.
Merchant vessels continue to be hijacked in Somali
territorial waters, while others have been hijacked
as far as 300 nautical miles off the coast of
Somalia, Yemen, and Kenya in international waters.

12. The U.S. Government maritime authorities advise
mariners to avoid the port of Mogadishu, and to
remain at least 200 nautical miles off the coast of
Somalia. In addition, when transiting around the
Horn of Africa or in the Red Sea, it is strongly
recommended that vessels travel in convoys, and
maintain good communications contact at all times.
Americans traveling on commercial passenger vessels
should consult with the shipping or cruise ship
company regarding precautions that will be taken to
avoid hijacking incidents. Commercial vessels should
review the Department of Transportation Maritime
Administration's suggested piracy countermeasures for
vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden at
http://marad.dot.gov/news_room_landing_page/m aritime_
advisories/advisory/advisory_summary.htm

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West Africa
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13. The terrorist group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM),has become increasingly active in the
West African countries of Mali, Mauritania, and Niger,
as well as in parts of North Africa. AQIM uses regions
of these countries as safe havens and platforms from

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which to conduct operations. Formerly known as GSPC
(Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat),AQIM has been
designated a terrorist organization by both the United
States and the European Union.


14. AQIM has declared its intention to attack Western
interests and targets. AQIM is known to operate in the
northern region of Mali, the southeastern region of
Mauritania, and along the border between Niger and Mali.
In addition to being a threat to Westerners, AQIM
contributes to civil unrest and banditry, which
reinforce longstanding security concerns in West Africa.
U.S. citizens are urged to avoid travel to these areas.
U.S. government personnel are required to obtain advance
written approval to travel to these areas. For
additional information about travel in this region,
please consult the Country Specific Information (CSI)
for Mauritania, Mali, and Niger.

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South and Central Asia
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15. The U.S. Government continues to receive
information that terrorist groups in South and Central
Asia may be planning attacks in the region, possibly
against U.S. Government facilities, American citizens,
or American interests. The presence of al-Qaida,
Taliban elements, indigenous sectarian groups, and other
terror organizations, many of which are on the U.S.
Government's list of foreign terror organizations, poses
a potential danger to American citizens in the region.
Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated
their willingness and capability to attack targets where
Americans or Westerners are known to congregate or
visit. Their actions may include, but are not limited
to, vehicle-born explosives, improvised explosive
devices, assassinations, carjacking, rocket attacks,
assaults or kidnappings.


16. In June 2009, gunmen stormed the Pearl Continental
Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan, and detonated a bomb that
resulted in several deaths and scores of injuries. In
February 2009, Taliban insurgents conducted a
coordinated terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan,
which resulted in the death of at least 26 and the
wounding of 50 individuals. Between October 2008 and
June 2009, several American citizens were kidnapped in
Afghanistan and Pakistan. In November 2008, coordinated
terrorist attacks on luxury hotels, a Jewish community
center, a restaurant, train station, hospital, and other
facilities frequented by foreigners in Mumbai, India,
killed more than 170, including six Americans. On
November 12, 2008, an American government contractor and
his driver in Peshawar, Pakistan, were shot and killed
in their car. In September 2008, more than fifty
people, including three Americans, were killed and
hundreds were injured when a suicide bomber set off a
truck filled with explosives outside a major
international hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. In August
2008, gunmen stopped and shot at the vehicle of an
American diplomat in Peshawar. Also in August, three
western non-governmental organization (NGO) employees,
along with their Afghan driver, were gunned down as they
traveled south of Kabul, Afghanistan. On June 2, 2008,
a large bomb exploded in front of the Danish Embassy in
Islamabad, killing at least six people and wounding
nearly 20. In May 2008, a series of coordinated
bombings occurred in market and temple areas of the
tourist city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. In
Afghanistan, kidnappings and terrorist attacks on
international organizations, international aid workers,
and foreign interests continue.


17. Previous terrorist attacks conducted in Central
Asia have involved improvised explosive devices and

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suicide bombers and have targeted public areas, such as
markets, local government facilities, and, in 2004, the
U.S. and Israeli Embassies in Uzbekistan. In addition,
hostage-takings and skirmishes have occurred near the
Uzbek-Tajik-Kyrgyz border areas.

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Before You Go
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18. U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are
encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or
Consulate through the State Department's travel
registration web site at
https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ to obtain
updated information on travel and security. Americans
without Internet access may register directly with the
nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering,
American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or
Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.
U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high
level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take
the appropriate steps to bolster their personal
security. For additional information, please refer to
"A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state.gov.


19. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a
heightened state of alert. These facilities may
temporarily close or periodically suspend public
services to assess their security posture. In those
instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every
effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens.
Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and
maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or
Consulate.


20. As the Department continues to develop information
on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens
overseas, it shares credible threat information through
its Consular Information Program documents, available on
the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to
information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-
date information on security conditions by calling 1-
888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada
or, outside the United States and Canada on a regular
toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are
available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday,
Eastern Time (except U.S. federal holidays.)


21. Minimize considered.
CLINTON