Terrorist Threats Show Need for Vigilance

Worldwide

The State Department has stiffened the wording of its alert to Americans over the terrorist bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and subsequent U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan and Sudan. The latest announcement warns of “the potential for retaliatory acts against Americans” and cautions that terrorists such as Osama bin Laden “have not distinguished between military and civilian targets.” In separate advisories, the department cites the potential for terrorist incidents in these countries:

Asia: Malaysia, South Korea, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and Myanmar.

Middle East: Egypt and Yemen. In both countries, the threat “could include attacks on buildings.”

Africa: Uganda, where the U.S. Embassy has learned of a possible threat against Americans by a Ugandan rebel group.

Americans in these countries are advised to heighten their personal security.

Some tips on how Americans abroad can minimize the risk of terrorism, offered by the American Automobile Assn.:

* Buy a detailed local map and prominently mark your hotel, friendly embassies and police stations.

* Ask a hotel representative which streets and neighborhoods to avoid.

* Dress conservatively. Avoid standing out as a tourist or touting your nationality or wealth.

* Keep your distance from unattended luggage or packages in public places.

Latin America

Mexico: While resorts such as Cancun continue to attract foreigners, the fear of crime is keeping tourists from other parts of Mexico, especially the capital, according to a report by Reuters news service. Several high-profile murders of foreigners have tarnished the country’s image, including the stabbing last month of a British society columnist who lived in Mexico City; the March rape and murder of an American art teacher on a beach in Oaxaca state; the murder of a U.S. businessman in a taxi in the capital in December, and the slaying of an Egyptian diplomat in Guerrero state in January. Other Mexico developments:

* The Mexican government declared that Baja California remains safe for tourists after the massacre of 18 people, including eight children, at a farm north of Ensenada 10 days ago. Local business people were concerned that the crime, the worst in the state’s history, might keep tourists from the resort area. Police attributed the slayings to a drug feud.

* Flooding has made travel hazardous in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, the State Department advises. Many roads and bridges are washed out, and others are barely passable. Mudslides have blocked part of the Pan American Highway.

* The State Department warns travelers that Mexico has stiff firearms laws. Entering the country with a firearm or a single round of ammunition without prior Mexican government approval can carry a penalty of up to five years in jail, and Americans have been imprisoned for the offense.

Caribbean

Bahamas: Three foreigners have been murdered in the Bahamas in recent weeks. The strangled body of a British woman was found Aug. 22 near a beach on Paradise Island, a resort island off Nassau. Another body found nearby was identified as that of a woman schoolteacher from Richmond, Va., who had disappeared in July. Earlier this month, an Indonesian crew member from the Carnival Cruise Line ship Fantasy was shot to death in downtown Nassau, possibly during a robbery attempt.

Middle East

Israel: Security at Israeli airports, already among the world’s most stringent, has been tightened further in response to threats from Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization. The changes affect not only Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv but also the airport at Eilat on the Red Sea. According to Israeli media, paramilitary police at the entrance to Ben-Gurion are stopping more cars than usual and checking them more closely.

Late last month, a small bomb exploded during morning rush hour near a busy intersection in Tel Aviv, injuring 21 people. Palestinian militant groups were suspected.

Briefly . . .

Russia: The current financial crisis has had no negative effect on foreigners’ security, the U.S. Embassy reports. There have been no serious disturbances, and transportation has not been noticeably affected. The currency exchange situation, however, is in flux. Although travelers’ checks can still be cashed in many places, tourists may find it hard to obtain cash through ATM machines. . . . South Africa: A bomb killed one person and injured 24 at a Planet Hollywood restaurant in Cape Town, and a caller said the attack was in retaliation for U.S. air strikes on targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. The State Department quickly warned Americans to be careful in all urban areas, particularly Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg. . . . Indonesia: As the country’s financial crisis continued, mobs burned hundreds of ethnic Chinese-owned shops on Sumatra island earlier this month, and hundreds rioted and looted in the country’s third-largest city when a strike by public transport drivers turned violent. . . . Spain: Police clashed with gangs of masked youths throwing gasoline bombs in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, in the restive Basque region.

Hot spots: State Department travel warnings are posted for 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, Serbia (Kosovo province), 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.