Fears of imminent war in Iraq precipitated Monday a final exodus
from Baghdad and pushed the United States and Britain to urge their
nationals to quit Kuwait forthwith amid terror warnings in
Dubai.
The 24-hour ultimatum from US President George W. Bush for the UN Security Council to back war or stand aside galvanised diplomats and foreign agencies into action across the region.
With more than 165,000 US and British troops massed in the northern Kuwaiti desert, poised for an invasion of Iraq, Washington had immediately warned UN weapons inspectors to get out of Iraq.
As a likely riposte, the US embassy in the United Arab Emirates revealed intelligence on "a possible terrorist attack against nightclubs in Dubai," which has invested billions to become the Gulf's tourist and leisure hub.
In Baghdad, the 160 inspectors and backup staff were ready to go on short notice but the evacuation order was not expected until about three hours after the Security Council meets at 1500 GMT in New York.
"There is no evacuation order yet, and should there be one, it would come after the Security Council session," a UN official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
In Vienna, the UN's chief nuclear inspector disclosed that the US government had Sunday night asked all inspectors to withdraw from Iraq.
Some diplomats were not waiting for the bombs to fall on Baghdad.
The Germans and Chinese took to their heels Monday morning. The Swiss were expected to follow as others sat on packed suitcases awaiting orders to escape.
French and Greek diplomats said they would take their cue from the inspectors.
However, the Russian ambassador, Vladimir Titorenko, planned to stay and even took bets on the chances of a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Moscow's foreign ministry however called for Russia nationals to leave.
In Kuwait, the US and British embassies urged their nationals to flee at once.
"All US citizens in Kuwait are urged to depart immediately," said a Washington advisory issued "to alert US citizens that the State Department ordered all family members and non-emergency staff at the embassy in Kuwait to depart." The warning cited the threat of a chemical or biological attack against Kuwait.
The British embassy followed suit.
"If you are already in Kuwait, you should leave urgently while commercial flights remain available," it cautioned.
"There is the risk of an attack from Iraq in the event of hostilities. This might involve chemical and biological weapons.
There have been recent attacks in Kuwait by terrorists. The threat to British individuals and organisations from terrorism is now high," the foreign office website added.
"It will rise further in the event of hostilities with Iraq.
Terrorist attacks in the region could involve the use of chemical and biological weapons or materials," the advisory added.
"Dependants of staff in the embassy in Kuwait have left. We are in the process of reducing our staffing to a core," the British embassy said.
Kuwait is home to some 8,000 Americans and an estimated 4,000 British nationals.
Another sign of impeding war also came from Kuwait, where UN observers stationed along the border with Iraq ceased all operations and prepared to evacuate the demilitarized zone (DMZ) later in the day.
"In view of the risk of hostilities in Iraq, there is an increase in the threat to British nationals in countries in the region, including from Iraq," the British embassy warned in the United Arab Emirates.
"We believe that the UAE, in common with all the Gulf region, is a place where the threat to British individuals and organisations from terrorism is now high. It will further rise in the event of hostilities with Iraq." The embassy recommended British citizens to maintain a "high level of vigilance, particularly in places frequented by foreigners such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
"There is heightened concern about potential threats in places of entertainment. You should exercise extreme caution and follow good security practices." However in neighbouring Saudi Arabia no new advisories were released by the Americans or British after last month's suggestion that US nationals should consider leaving.
Very few of the 35,000-40,000 Americans in the kingom have left, said embassy spokesman John Burgess -Sapa-AFP
The 24-hour ultimatum from US President George W. Bush for the UN Security Council to back war or stand aside galvanised diplomats and foreign agencies into action across the region.
With more than 165,000 US and British troops massed in the northern Kuwaiti desert, poised for an invasion of Iraq, Washington had immediately warned UN weapons inspectors to get out of Iraq.
As a likely riposte, the US embassy in the United Arab Emirates revealed intelligence on "a possible terrorist attack against nightclubs in Dubai," which has invested billions to become the Gulf's tourist and leisure hub.
In Baghdad, the 160 inspectors and backup staff were ready to go on short notice but the evacuation order was not expected until about three hours after the Security Council meets at 1500 GMT in New York.
"There is no evacuation order yet, and should there be one, it would come after the Security Council session," a UN official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
In Vienna, the UN's chief nuclear inspector disclosed that the US government had Sunday night asked all inspectors to withdraw from Iraq.
Some diplomats were not waiting for the bombs to fall on Baghdad.
The Germans and Chinese took to their heels Monday morning. The Swiss were expected to follow as others sat on packed suitcases awaiting orders to escape.
French and Greek diplomats said they would take their cue from the inspectors.
However, the Russian ambassador, Vladimir Titorenko, planned to stay and even took bets on the chances of a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Moscow's foreign ministry however called for Russia nationals to leave.
In Kuwait, the US and British embassies urged their nationals to flee at once.
"All US citizens in Kuwait are urged to depart immediately," said a Washington advisory issued "to alert US citizens that the State Department ordered all family members and non-emergency staff at the embassy in Kuwait to depart." The warning cited the threat of a chemical or biological attack against Kuwait.
The British embassy followed suit.
"If you are already in Kuwait, you should leave urgently while commercial flights remain available," it cautioned.
"There is the risk of an attack from Iraq in the event of hostilities. This might involve chemical and biological weapons.
There have been recent attacks in Kuwait by terrorists. The threat to British individuals and organisations from terrorism is now high," the foreign office website added.
"It will rise further in the event of hostilities with Iraq.
Terrorist attacks in the region could involve the use of chemical and biological weapons or materials," the advisory added.
"Dependants of staff in the embassy in Kuwait have left. We are in the process of reducing our staffing to a core," the British embassy said.
Kuwait is home to some 8,000 Americans and an estimated 4,000 British nationals.
Another sign of impeding war also came from Kuwait, where UN observers stationed along the border with Iraq ceased all operations and prepared to evacuate the demilitarized zone (DMZ) later in the day.
"In view of the risk of hostilities in Iraq, there is an increase in the threat to British nationals in countries in the region, including from Iraq," the British embassy warned in the United Arab Emirates.
"We believe that the UAE, in common with all the Gulf region, is a place where the threat to British individuals and organisations from terrorism is now high. It will further rise in the event of hostilities with Iraq." The embassy recommended British citizens to maintain a "high level of vigilance, particularly in places frequented by foreigners such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
"There is heightened concern about potential threats in places of entertainment. You should exercise extreme caution and follow good security practices." However in neighbouring Saudi Arabia no new advisories were released by the Americans or British after last month's suggestion that US nationals should consider leaving.
Very few of the 35,000-40,000 Americans in the kingom have left, said embassy spokesman John Burgess -Sapa-AFP
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