Family Survival Protocol - Microcosm News: WASHINGTON — The United States is shuttering its embassies and consulates throughout the Muslim world on Sunday after receiving an unspecified threat, officials said.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

WASHINGTON — The United States is shuttering its embassies and consulates throughout the Muslim world on Sunday after receiving an unspecified threat, officials said.

US closing embassies, consulates in Muslim world Sunday after receiving unspecified threat

Associated Press - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, speaks to staff members at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013. The Obama administration hasn’t sent its top diplomat to Pakistan since 2011, and Kerry’s trip is a chance for the former senator to get to know the newly elected prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who came to power in Pakistan’s first transition between civilian governments.

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, August 1, 10:09 PM

State Department officials said Thursday that they were taking action out of an “abundance of caution.”

Spokeswoman Marie Harf cited information indicating a threat to U.S. facilities overseas and said some diplomatic facilities may stay closed for more than a day.
Other U.S. officials said the threat was in the Muslim world, where Sunday is a workday. American diplomatic missions in Europe, Latin America and many other places are closed on Sunday.
Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
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US issues travel terror warning

Al Qaida's leader, Ayman al-Zawahri (AP)

02 August 2013

The US has issued an extraordinary global travel warning to Americans about the threat of an al-Qaida attack and closed down 21 embassies and consulates across the Muslim world for the weekend.

The alert was the first of its kind since an announcement preceding the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. This one comes with the scars still fresh from last year's deadly September 11 attack on a US diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and with the Obama administration and Congress determined to prevent any similar breach of an American Embassy or consulate.
"There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it," said General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He told ABC News in an interview to be aired Sunday that the threat was "more specific" than previous ones and the "intent is to attack Western, not just US interests."

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