US issues global travel alert following death of Bin Laden
The US and Australia have warned travellers to be on extra alert of terrorist attacks following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
In a statement to CNN, the US Department of Homeland Security said: "We certainly anticipate threats of retaliation – this is an organisation that declared war on the United States more than a decade ago – threats from al Qaeda are not a new phenomenon.”
The day before Bin Laden’s death was announced, the US Department of State had already put out an alert to American people travelling and living abroad following recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan.
“Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, US citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.”
Meanwhile, Australians were told: “The US Government has strongly urged its citizens overseas to limit their travel outside their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations. We advise Australians in areas likely to be affected by such gatherings to exercise enhanced vigilance regarding their personal security.”
The UK has not issued a warning to travellers but has put its foreign embassies on high alert.
Foreign secretary William Hague told British embassies to review security.
“This is not the end of being vigilant against al-Qaeda and associated groups," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
"There may be parts of al-Qaeda that will try to show that they are in business in the coming weeks, as indeed some of them are.
"So I have already asked our embassies to review their security to make sure that vigilance is heightened and I think that will have to be our posture for some time to come."
US President Barack Obama announced the killing of Bin Laden on Monday.
He said the ground operation was based on US intelligence dating back to August last year.
US security forces had located Bin Laden to a fortified compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad in north-west Pakistan.
The compound is only 800 yards from a Pakistan Military Academy, equivalent to Britain’s Sandhurst military training academy.
Obama said US forces took possession of Bin Laden’s body and unconfirmed reports say the body has been buried at sea.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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