Italy, Turkey bases on higher alert following reputed threats in Middle East
From staff and wire reports
U.S. military bases around the Mediterranean Sea are on
heightened-alert status following reputed threats against U.S. interests in the Middle
East.
U.S. European Command ordered an increase to Threatcon Bravo —
the second-level in status above normal — for all American bases in Italy.
“Beyond that, it’s up to the local commands,” said
Maj. Toni Kemper, a EUCOM spokeswoman.
Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where American and British jets launch
to patrol the no-fly zone over northern Iraq, has been on a heightened state of alert
since Friday, said Capt. John Haynes, a spokesman there.
Incirlik and other U.S. facilities in Europe have frequently been on
higher alerts than other bases in Europe in recent years because of their proximity to the
Middle East and several countries the U.S. government has labeled supporters of terrorism.
Most other bases in Europe remained at Threatcon Alpha, one level
above normal. Bases in Bosnia and Kosovo were already at Threatcon Bravo before the latest
threats, and they remain on that status.
Bases around Europe effectively have been at a heightened sense of
alert since terrorists attacked U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe spokesman Capt. Shane Balken said the
threat condition had not been increased at air bases elsewhere in Europe, but
“prudent precautions” were being taken.
U.S. military forces throughout the Persian Gulf were put on a
heightened state of alert Friday as a precaution, although a threat picked up by U.S.
intelligence agencies was not specific about an intended target, according to U.S.
officials who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.
One official told The Associated Press that the threat was against
Americans, but not necessarily against the U.S. military.
Another official said the intelligence warning suggested that a
terrorist attack was imminent.
In response to the threat, a Marine Corps contingent in Jordan cut
short its training session and returned to its ships, while the U.S. 5th Fleet sent its
ships out of port in Bahrain.
The State Department issued a “worldwide caution” urging
U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance abroad. It said the U.S. government
has learned that American citizens and interests abroad may be at risk of a terrorist
attack from extremist groups.
The statement was issued a day after 13 Saudis and one Lebanese were
indicted by a U.S. grand jury in the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
Nineteen U.S. Air Force members were killed in the attack. Monday is the fifth anniversary
of the blast.
In its announcement Friday, the State Department noted that it had
said in an alert issued last month that American citizens may be the target of a terrorist
threat from extremist groups with links to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden and his
Al-Qaida organization.
The statement noted that in the past, bin Laden and his allies have
not distinguished between official and civilian targets.
“U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened
state of alert,” it said.
In response to the latest terrorist threat, several Navy minesweeping
ships were ordered out of port in Bahrain, headquarters for the U.S. 5th Fleet that
patrols the Persian Gulf area.
The aircraft carrier Constellation and its battle group were already
at sea, officials said.
Other security measures also were taken, but officials would not
disclose details.
Members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton,
Calif., were taken out of Jordan and back aboard their three vessels, led by the USS
Boxer, an amphibious assault ship.
Jordanian officials confirmed that a joint military exercise with
U.S. Marines was suspended indefinitely.
Some U.S. Marines left Jordan over the past few days, and the rest
were expected to depart Saturday, Western officials said on condition of anonymity.
U.S. officials haven’t said how many Marines were participating
in the war games, but a Jordanian official put the number of Americans involved at about
800.
In Bahrain, Cmdr. Jeff Gradeck, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s
5th Fleet, refused to comment on the security situation.
U.S. Embassy officials in Kuwait also would not comment on how the
heightened alert in the region was affecting American troops in the emirate.
Extra security precautions for U.S. forces in the Middle East have been ordered several
times since the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen last October.
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