May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

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DUBAI, May 16: The US State Department said on Thursday it had received information about a terrorist threat against a specific neighbourhood in Jeddah and that some US officials had already moved out of the area in response.

“The US consulate general in Jeddah has received an unconfirmed report that a possible terrorist attack in the Al-Hamra district of Jeddah may occur in the near future.

“While we cannot certify the credibility of the threat, in light of recent events this information is being shared with the American community,” it said in a notice to US citizens resident in the city.

A 60-strong team of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officers has arrived in Saudi Arabia amid a fresh terror warning and US demands the kingdom step up efforts to combat terrorism after the Riyadh suicide bombings.

The blasts were blamed on Al Qaeda terror network. They left at least 25 dead, including eight US citizens, along with nine bombers, and some 194 wounded, according to a Saudi interior ministry toll.

“They arrived late last night,” said John Burgess, counsellor for public affairs at the US embassy in the Saudi capital.

“There are approximately 60 (in the team). They will be involved in the investigation into the bombings in coordination with the Saudi authorities,” Burgess told AFP, denying that the team included any CIA intelligence operatives.

The team’s stay in the kingdom is “open ended,” he added.

A British police team also arrived in Saudi Arabia Thursday, while Australia announced it too was sending police officers to help with the investigation into Monday night’s attacks on three expatriate residential compounds.

BRITISH FLIGHT ALERT: Amid fears extremists were planning an imminent attack in Kenya, British Airways said on Friday it had heeded a warning from the British transport ministry and suspended all flights to the east African country.

“The last flight to London left Nairobi at 10:25pm (1925 GMT) yesterday (Thursday). All other flights to and from Nairobi are suspended until further notice,” a BA spokeswoman told AFP.

The Saudi-owned pan-Arab Al-Hayat quoted a Saudi source as saying that Riyadh had “many names and addresses that will lead” to the six bombers at large.

The paper also reported that Saudi authorities had uncovered more weapons and explosives in the past two days, including 100 Bazooka rockets.

Security was tight in Riyadh on Friday, with patrols by armed police and national guard troops throughout the city. Police were also stationed at shopping malls and outside expatriate residential compounds.

Drivers were quizzed and vehicles examined at countless road blocks and checkpoints.

The Saudi government has vowed to clamp down on terrorism after Monday’s bombings which it says were carried out by 15 Saudis, and has acknowledged security lapses. Riyadh announced on May 7 it had uncovered an Al Qaeda cell planning to carry out major attacks in the kingdom and that security forces were hunting 17 Saudis, one Kuwaiti-Canadian of Iraqi origin and a Yemeni. A huge weapons cache was found.

The imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque, on Friday blasted the bomb attacks as an “unjustified crime, bloodshed and aggression” against innocent people carried out by a “handful of deviant people.”

“The sinful blasts that took place in Riyadh are a criminal act ... It is an aggression and bloodshed (aimed at) terrorizing people,” Sheikh Saleh bin Humayed said during a televised sermon at Juma prayers.

“Terrorism is an attitude designed to terrify and kill people. It aims at spreading corruption on earth ... It carries only the message of destruction,” Humayed said.—AFP