The State Department has also recommended that private American citizens living in Saudi Arabia consider leaving. It added that US citizens who choose to remain in Saudi Arabia despite the warning should register at the consular section. This was conveyed to American citizens in a warden message sent to them by the US Embassy in Riyadh. Two weeks ago, the US Embassy warned its citizens of possible terrorist attacks that could be launched in Saudi Arabia and required them to take extreme caution. Saudi authorities at that time said they knew nothing of a terrorist plot.

Arab News learned yesterday that many American citizens are considering leaving, or at least sending their children home.

In a carefully worded statement, the United States said yesterday that Saudi Arabia “must deal with the fact that it has terrorists inside its own country” in the aftermath of deadly suicide bombings.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer essentially backed up the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Robert Jordan, who said the Kingdom did not respond quickly enough to US requests for more security at a compound attacked this week by suicide bombers.

Bruce Petty, an American author and father of two, told Arab News that he has decided to take his children back home. “When you are a parent, your main concern is your children. You would not want them to be harmed. And if something happened to them, you would never forgive yourself,” he said.