Michel Cousins, Arab News

JEDDAH, 22 April 2004 — The latest terrorist attack in Riyadh came just days after the US Embassy issued a warning of a possible terrorist attack in the Kingdom. It said it had “credible” information that terrorist groups might be planning attacks. As a consequence it decided to send non-essential staff and their families back to the US.

This is not the first time that US has issued terror warnings that turned out to be all too true. Just two days before the attack on the Al-Muhaya housing compound in Riyadh on Nov. 9 in which 18 people died, the US shut its diplomatic missions in the country, based on received intelligence of a terror threat.

Washington’s intelligence abilities have given the conspiracy theorists a field day, with some even trying to lay the blame on the CIA.

“How is it that each time the United States warns of a terrorist attack, a bomb blast follows?” asked Mahmoud Ibrahim, an Egyptian hotel employee in Jeddah. “Does the United States issue a warning after receiving intelligence reports or is it that terrorists make it a point to bomb a place after such warnings are issued?” asked Abdul Rahman Tijani, a Sudanese hospital technician. “Such things seem to be happening repeatedly,” a South African said.

In fact, the conspiracy theory is more fantasy than reality. The alert six days ago was just the latest in a string issued by the US as well as other Western governments to citizens living in or visiting the Kingdom. There have been far more than there have been attacks — so many that the significance of such warnings has all but been lost on many Western expats.

The day after the alert, a group of 30 Americans flying to the Kingdom turned back at Cairo on the instructions of their company, but they seemed an exception. Other Americans on the same Paris-Cairo-Jeddah flight flew on in.

Few here, other than diplomatic officials who have had to leave, took much notice either. “I’m staying put,” an American told Arab News just hours before the attack, when asked about the latest alert and his plans. “They (the embassy) have to say that, otherwise the government could be sued if something happened.” Others agreed.

That view, however, may now change because of the attack.