March 20, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 16, 1424

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ISLAMABAD. March 19: The US embassy officials in Islamabad are concerned about their security in the wake of their government’s plan to invade Iraq after expiry of the 48-hour deadline, which may spark widespread protests in the country.

A six-member delegation of the US embassy including the chief security officer and some members of the FBI team based in the embassy had a meeting with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in his office on Tuesday in which the security issue was discussed in detail. The meeting lasted for an hour and was attended by senior police officials.

The sources in the police said the US embassy officials sought enhanced security for the embassy, the American diplomats and the citizens in Pakistan. The IGP, the sources said, agreed to beef up security on the embassy premises.

The sources further said extra force had been deployed on and off the embassy premises as an enhanced security measure.

The embassy also has its own security arrangements, a job entrusted to a leading private security agency whose officials are deployed at strategic points round the clock.

The US embassy officials also raised the issue of scavengers who roam the Diplomatic Enclave collecting garbage and waste disposed of by the embassies and residents at various spots.

“They wanted us to prevent these scavengers from entering the Diplomatic Enclave, fearing some terrorists might infiltrate in their garb into the area which is otherwise strictly prohibited for common people,” the sources added.

“The FBI officials also talked about the banned religious groups and their activists. We shared information on this particular issue with the FBI officials in which certain religious groups and their activists, who had already been banned by the government were discussed,” said a senior police officer, who attended the meeting.