American establishments and the U.S. Embassy were the reputed targets of attacks that were thwarted when Singapore police broke up a terrorist network linked to al Qaeda recently. Singapore’s close links to the U.S. have raised concerns that it could be the site of attacks, and the U.S. naval presence has been recognized as an obvious target. Singapore hosts some 100 U.S. naval visits annually and has the only pier outside the U.S. where American aircraft carriers can dock. Officials have been concerned that an attack similar to the one on the USS Cole in Yemen could occur here. Security around U.S. facilities has been strengthened, and the recent arrests suggest that a major threat has been eliminated.
