U.S. Issues Warning in Persian Gulf

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia —  U.S. embassies in four Persian Gulf nations said Sunday that they have information indicating the “strong possibility” of a terrorist attack at one or more American targets in the region in the next 30 days.

A statement distributed to American citizens in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain asked them to be alert to “any suspicious activity and take precautionary steps to reduce the profile and vulnerability of any U.S. facilities.”

The statement did not give details beyond saying there is “a strong possibility that terrorist elements are planning an attack against U.S. targets in the Gulf, possibly in the next 30 days.”

In Bahrain, the embassy said that about 1,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in the country have been put under curfew and told not to gather in large numbers in public places. The 1,300 U.S. civilians in Bahrain also are being discouraged from gathering in public places.

Security for the estimated 40,000 Americans working in Saudi Arabia--along with about 5,000 military personnel--has been a priority after two fatal bombings aimed at U.S. citizens in the kingdom in 1995 and 1996.