The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta warned Americans of possible security risks in the capital during the holiday season. On Christmas Eve 2000 there was a series of bombings at churches in Jakarta and elsewhere around the country, and in this context the Embassy stated that “the potential for additional bombings of places where Americans and Westerners are known to live, congregate, shop, or visit, especially hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, housing compounds, transportation systems, places of worship, schools, or outdoor recreation events is particularly high during the weeks around Christmas through the New Year.”