The United States will temporarily shut down its embassies and consulates around the world on Sunday as a precautionary measure over terror-related concerns, State Department officials said on Friday, as reported by the Associated Press
The decision was taken "out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting," State Department spokesman Marie Harf said, adding that she did not how long the international installation would stay closed, and officials would not describe the nature of the threat.
In many Arab and Middle Eastern countries Sunday is a workday. "For those who asked about which embassies and consulates we have instructed to suspend operations on August 4th, the answer is that we have instructed all U.S. Embassies and Consulates that would have normally been open on Sunday to suspend operations, specifically on August 4th. It is possible we may have additional days of closing as well."
On Thursday, measures to beef up security at U.S. embassies were passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The bill is in response to the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, where Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed.
"Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," said the alert, which came after officials said U.S. embassies in Egypt and some other Middle Eastern countries would be closed Sunday as a precaution.
Al Qaeda is linked to a terror threat that prompted the embassy closings, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce told CNN's "New Day" on Friday.
"It's my understanding that it is al Qaeda-linked, all right, and the threat emanates in the Middle East and in Central Asia," said Royce, a California Republican who's chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
On Thursday, a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly about the matter called the threat "credible and serious."
It was "directed at American targets overseas," but may not be confined to main diplomatic facilities, the official said.
