18th
August 2009-08-18
U.S.
authorities warned on Tuesday that American citizens in
Kuwait remained at risk from terrorist attacks,
following the arrest of an al Qaeda-linked network in
the Gulf Arab state last week.
Kuwait
announced on August 11 that it had arrested all six
members of an al Qaeda-linked network who planned to
bomb the U.S. Army camp of Arifjan, state security
headquarters, and "important facilities," during the
Muslim month of Ramadan. Ramadan is expected to start
around August 21.
The
members of the network who had confessed after their
arrest, also planned to attack the OPEC member's 200,000
barrels per day Shuaiba oil refinery, a security
official said.
"The
Department of State remains concerned about the
continued threat of terrorist attacks and other violent
actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas,"
the U.S. embassy in Kuwait said in a communique on
Tuesday.
It
advised U.S. citizens in Kuwait to register with the
embassy, and "maintain a high level of vigilance" to
avoid being targets of any possible attacks by terrorist
groups. "Potential targets may include U.S. contractors,
particularly those related to military interests," the
message said.
Kuwait,
the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, was the launch
pad for the 2003 U.S.-led war on Iraq to oust Saddam
Hussein. After the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S.
cities, there were a number of al Qaeda-inspired attacks
in Kuwait, including a raid that killed one U.S. Marine
and wounded another in October 2002.
The
government has since waged a largely successful campaign
to stamp out violence by Islamist militants.
