Washington plans to close embassies for security reasons

United States embassies and consulates around the world that would normally be open this Sunday - including those in Abu Dhabi, Baghdad and Cairo - will be closed that day because of unspecified security concerns, the US State Department said on Thursday.

CBS News reported that the embassy closings were tied to US intelligence about an al-Qaida plot against US diplomatic posts in the Middle East and other Muslim countries. CBS said the intelligence did not mention a specific location.

"The Department of State has instructed certain US embassies and consulates to remain closed or to suspend operations on Sunday, Aug 4," said US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. "Security considerations have led us to take this precautionary step."

Harf declined to detail the "security considerations" or name the embassies and consulates that would be closed, but a senior US State Department official told reporters later they were those that would normally have been open on Sunday.

A quick search of the State Department website showed that those included several US missions in the Muslim world, including the embassies in Abu Dhabi, Baghdad and Cairo.

CBS News said US embassies would also be closed in Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

"The department has been apprised of information that, out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installations ... indicates we should institute these precautionary steps," Harf said.

Reuters-AP

(China Daily 08/03/2013 page8)