British mission in Yemen suspended.9/20/2008 10:24:30 PM The British embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa has been closed until further notice following a rebel attack on the US mission, which killed 16 people on Wednesday. British officials said the embassy would remain closed until security at the building has been improved. "The embassy has closed its doors until further notice and has suspended sus·pend v. sus·pend·ed, sus·pend·ing, sus·pends v.tr. 1. To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a punishment: suspend a student from school. all the services that it provides," a source, who requested anonymity, said. A British foreign office spokeswoman in London said: "We have temporarily suspended operations at our embassy until additional security measures Noun 1. security measures - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising" security are put in place." The decision comes as the Yemeni authorities tighten security around foreign diplomatic facilities after an al-Qaeda-linked group, the Organisation of Islamic Jihad Noun 1. Islamic Jihad - a Shiite terrorist organization with strong ties to Iran; seeks to create an Iranian fundamentalist Islamic state in Lebanon; car bombs are the signature weapon , claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack and threatened more. The group vowed to continue attacks "against Western interests," Yemeni public figures and the Saudi embassy unless militants being held by Yemeni authorities were released. It also called for the closure of the US and British missions in the Arabian peninsula Arabian Peninsula or Arabia Peninsular region, southwest Asia. With its offshore islands, it covers about 1 million sq mi (2.6 million sq km). Constituent countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and, the largest, Saudi Arabia. republic. State of alert A Yemeni security source said on Thursday that authorities had rounded up 25 suspects over the attack, which was the second strike on the compound in six months, and the latest in a spate of attacks against Western interests and oil installations in impoverished im·pov·er·ished adj. 1. Reduced to poverty; poverty-stricken. See Synonyms at poor. 2. Deprived of natural richness or strength; limited or depleted: Yemen. The Yemeni interior ministry said on Saturday that the suspects were continuing to be interviewed in connection with the investigation. A statement by the ministry added that "the different security services Security services are state institutions for the provision of intelligence, primarily of a strategic nature, but also including protective security intelligence. Examples include the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in the United Kingdom, and the and elements had put in place a total state of alert" and that "security measures around diplomatic missions Noun 1. diplomatic mission - a mission serving diplomatic ends delegation, deputation, delegacy, commission, mission - a group of representatives or delegates foreign mission, legation - a permanent diplomatic mission headed by a minister have been reinforced following terrorist threats." [c] Aljazeera.net 2003 - 2008 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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