US issues security warning on Saudi

The United States upgraded its security warning for Saudi Arabia today, restricting its diplomatic staff to the diplomatic quarters of their cities for all but essential duties.

A US diplomat in Riyadh declined to say if the upgrade was in response to a specific terrorist threat.

Saudi armed forces have strongly defended the Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter, an area of about five square miles (13 sq km) west of the city, since suicide bombers attacked three housing compounds for foreigners in the capital on May 12.

Separately, the US and British embassies said an American and a Briton had been detained in Saudi Arabia, but the authorities had given no reason for the arrests.

A state-controlled newspaper, Arab News, said the American was Abdullatif Ibrahim Bilal.

It reported he is the brother of Ahmed and Muhammad Bilal, who are awaiting sentencing by a US court after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to help al-qaida and the Taliban and to violating the law on firearms.

They face up to 14 years in prison.

A US diplomat at the consulate in Jiddah confirmed that an American citizen had been arrested but said: “We don’t know why.”

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, refused to identify the American.

The alleged father, Ibrahim Bilal, refused to comment. Arab News quoted Ibrahim Bilal as saying his son had been detained, but he had no idea why.

British Embassy spokesman Barry Peach identified the British detainee as David Heaton, a convert to Islam.

“We have contacted his next of kin, and we are seeking reasons for his detention from the Saudi authorities,” Peach said.

While both men were detained in Jiddah, it was not clear if they were linked.

In Riyadh, the US Embassy repeated its advice earlier this month that US citizens in Saudi Arabia should ”remain vigilant, maintain a low profile and follow prudent security measures”.

It also urged Americans to “avoid places and areas where Westerners are known to congregate, including residential compounds.”

When the warning was first issued, US diplomats said they were not recommending that Americans evacuate the compounds, where expatriate workers tend to live in Riyadh.

But they said American diplomats could only visit the compounds on official business.

Suicide bombers killed 35 people, including the nine assailants, in the May attacks on the compounds.

Another 17 people were killed in a second suicide attack on the compounds on November 8.

“The embassy continues to be concerned about the current situation in Saudi Arabia,” Saturday’s warden message said.

“Effective immediately, travel of all embassy personnel and dependants off the Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter should be restricted to essential business only.”

“Similar restrictions will be placed on American personnel and dependants at the consulates in Jiddah and Dhahran,” the message added.