U.S. Travelers Warned of Terrorism

The U.S. government issued a new alert Saturday that American citizens traveling overseas could be targeted for terrorist attacks over the next few weeks, including during the millennial celebrations on New Year’s Eve.

The warning, more sweeping in tone than previous ones put out by the State Department in recent months, was issued after U.S. intelligence officials detected specific evidence that the terrorist network of the Saudi militant Osama bin Laden was planning action against Americans soon, according to a U.S. official who works on such issues.

In what was called a “worldwide caution,” the State Department said that U.S. officials have received “credible evidence” that terrorists are planning attacks on Americans between now and the beginning of the new year.

‘Avoid Large Crowds and Gatherings’

“The information indicates that attacks could be planned for locations throughout the world where large gatherings and celebrations will be taking place,” the statement says.

It cautioned that Americans traveling or living abroad “should avoid large crowds and gatherings, keep a low profile and vary routes and times of all required travel.”

One U.S. government source said: “There have been a slew of [terrorist] threat reports over the past few weeks, mainly Bin Laden-related. And then one emerged in the past couple of days that seemed much more credible and specific than all the others.”

According to this official, the primary focus of American concern is on the possibility of a terrorist attack in South Asia or the Middle East. But he said U.S. officials issued a “worldwide” caution because the Bin Laden network has shown it has the ability to operate elsewhere too, notably Africa.

James B. Foley, the State Department’s deputy spokesman, said Saturday that there is no evidence any terrorist attacks are being planned within the United States. Instead, the concern is for Americans abroad.

The warning adds a new note of uncertainty to the festivities to usher in 2000, now less than three weeks away.

Earlier this year, the main worry about the arrival of the new millennium was a mechanical one--that is, whether the Y2K problem would cause computer breakdowns around the world. But the State Department’s warning--the fourth such “worldwide caution” it has issued since September--underscores growing fears that the new year could be ushered in with deliberate havoc.

Cathy Keefe, a spokeswoman for the Travel Industry Assn. of America, estimated that 45,000 to 90,000 Americans will journey abroad during the holiday season--1% or 2% of the 45 million Americans expected to travel then.

“The new year is turning out to be a real family-oriented, friends-oriented holiday this time,” she said. The warning, she noted, “is not saying don’t travel. They’re saying exercise a little caution.”

Although the State Department’s announcement was eye-catching because of the focus on millennial celebrations, such a worldwide caution is not unprecedented.

In fact, similar “worldwide cautions” were issued on three other occasions this fall.

Warnings Issued Twice Last Month

In October, the State Department warned Americans to be careful and keep a low profile at a time when it was returning a Saudi citizen to Saudi Arabia to face charges stemming from the 1996 attack on Americans in Saudi Arabia.

Then twice last month, similar worldwide warnings were issued to caution Americans about the possibility of attacks from the Bin Laden network.

Bin Laden, the fugitive Saudi millionaire who once worked with the United States to fight the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, is believed by U.S. officials to be responsible for a series of terrorist attacks against Americans over the past decade.

The Clinton administration’s missile attacks in Afghanistan and the Sudan in the summer of 1998 were aimed at punishing the Bin Laden network for its alleged role in terrorist attacks at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

However, Bin Laden survived the attacks and is believed to be living in Afghanistan. Last month, with the prodding of the United States, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Afghanistan’s Taliban regime after it refused to comply with requests to turn him over for prosecution in another country.

The State Department said in Saturday’s warning that terrorists are planning attacks on American citizens “during the period of time leading up to and through the beginning of the New Year and Ramadan events and celebrations” from now through early January.

Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of daytime fasting, began last week.

U.S. intelligence officials have so far been frustrated in their efforts to get their hands on Bin Laden and bring him to justice.

“Bin Laden operates in a part of the world not accessible to us easily,” said a senior U.S. intelligence official. “He operates in the shadows of the terrorist world. They have no flag, no embassies. It’s just hard to put our arms around him.”

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Staff writers Judy Pasternak and Bob Drogin contributed to this story.