U.S. Issues Security Warnings After Africa Embassy Bombings

Worldwide

Coordinated terrorist bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 7 killed more than 250 people, including 12 U.S. citizens. The State Department quickly warned Americans against traveling to those two adjacent East African countries, but lifted the warnings a week later after objections from the Kenyan government, which relies heavily on tourism income.

Other U.S. embassies might be targeted, the State Department warned. As part of stepped-up diplomatic security precautions, Washington suspended embassy and consular operations in Somalia, Sudan, Congo (formerly Zaire), Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Guinea-Bissau. The government also scaled back embassy operations in Albania, Eritrea and Pakistan.

Citing the possibility of random anti-American violence worldwide, the government urged Americans abroad to “exercise much greater than usual caution” and stay current on State Department announcements. Upon arriving in a foreign country, travelers may telephone the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date security information.

Latin America

Measured by murder rates, Latin America is the world’s most violent region, the Associated Press reports. The region has 30 homicides for every 100,000 people, six times the world average and four times the rate in the United States, according to United Nations figures. But high crime rates are not limited to murders:

* In Mexico City, the number of attacks on tourists has doubled this year, to 20 a day, says a Mexican tourism official quoted by the AP.

* In Santiago, Chile, armed robberies increased 62% between 1995 and 1997, according to a private Chilean think tank.

* In Lima, Peru, violent crime has tripled since 1992, with one-third of the capital’s residents falling prey to violent crime last year, police and government statistics show. An average of 12 kidnappings occur in Lima every day, some of them aimed at foreigners. A Canadian geologist who was kidnapped briefly along with his wife estimates that one of every three of his foreign colleagues has been a victim of a “quickie kidnapping.”

Caribbean

St. Kitts and Nevis: A threat on the lives of American students at Ross Veterinary University in St. Kitts has led the State Department to warn all Americans on the island to “take stock of their personal security and exercise caution.” Charles Miller, a St. Kitts businessman and reputed Caribbean drug lord, has been indicted in Florida on drug-trafficking charges. According to the State Department, Miller has threatened that if he is extradited to the United States, he will have American students at the university murdered. Saying that the extradition is “not imminent,” the department stopped short of warning Americans against traveling to the island. But it added that the U.S. government would not be able to provide personal security for Americans there.

South Pacific

Papua New Guinea: A series of three tidal waves wiped out several remote villages along a 20-mile stretch of northern coast last month and left at least 1,200 people dead.

In Port Moresby, 550 miles to the southeast, crime has been a major issue recently. Two weeks after issuing it, the Papua New Guinea Foreign Ministry withdrew a note advising other governments that it could no longer guarantee the safety of their diplomats in the city. But a new State Department “primer on personal security” in the island nation makes it clear that violent crime is a serious threat to visitors, especially in the capital. Among the observations:

* Thefts and assaults have occurred in the parking lot of Port Moresby’s international airport.

* Visitors should not travel by car outside the capital at night, even on major highways.

* Due to assaults and thefts in outdoor markets, the U.S. Embassy advises against shopping at those places.

* In the event of a crime, police response time may be measured in hours, not minutes.

Briefly . . .

Myanmar: The military-run government deported 18 foreign activists, including six Americans, for handing out pro-democracy leaflets. The 10th anniversary of the regime’s violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations was Aug. 8, and the State Department cautions that disturbances in Myanmar, formerly Burma, are possible for the next month. . . . Greece: The activist environmental organization Greenpeace warns that air pollution in Athens is the highest in Europe and that government moves to clean up the city are insufficient. Based on its own measurements of Athens’ smog, Greenpeace said the pollution constitutes a threat to public health. . . .Bolivia: The U.S. Embassy in La Paz says “numerous recent incidents” have led to concern about safety practices of Bolivia’s Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) airline, especially concerning the Boeing 727s it operates on domestic routes. Embassy personnel have been told to minimize the use of those flights whenever possible.

Hot spots: Citing widespread violence, the State Department has added Serbia’s Kosovo province to its list of places considered dangerous for Americans. Others on the travel-warning list are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo (formerly Zaire), Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Montserrat, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Tajikistan.

The U.S. State Department offers recorded travel warnings and advisories at (202) 647-5225; the fax line is (202) 647-3000. Internet address is https://travel.state.gov.