The American embassies in Gambia, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia, Senegal and Togo were temporarily closed June 24 because of reports that they had been under surveillance by “suspicious individuals.” All but the Madagascar Embassy were reopened June 28. State Department officials further reported that Osama bin Laden’s network was in the final stages of planning terrorist attacks against U.S. facilities and urged Americans overseas to remain vigilant about their personal security. These six embassies in Africa received security upgrades after last year’s bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and received further security improvements during the recent closures. Embassies worldwide are on heightened alert because of the ongoing terrorist threat posed by bin Laden. Consider minimizing contact with U.S. facilities, especially in Africa.
