US reopens its Saudi missions, 30 staffers to return home

The US reopened its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia on Sunday after a four-day closure prompted by warnings of more terror attacks after...

The US reopened its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia on Sunday after a four-day closure prompted by warnings of more terror attacks after suicide bombings in the capital Riyadh earlier this month.

But US diplomats said the embassy was sending home around 30 non-essential staff as a precautionary measure after the May 12 attacks.

‘‘We consider this a dangerous environment, and certainly we want to move people out of danger,’’ said John Burgess, the US Embassy’s public affairs officer.

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Diplomats and witnesses said the embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran had opened their doors to the public amid stringent security measures.

The US move comes a day after Britain and Germany also reopened their missions in Saudi Arabia.

US and Saudi officials have blamed the triple bombings on Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network.

Stung by US accusations of not doing enough to prevent the suicide bombings, Saudi Arabia has stepped up security in the country to hunt down those responsible for the bombings and to crack down on militancy to prevent further attacks.

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More than 60 US Intelligence agents are currently in Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter and producer and home to about 70,000 American and Britons, to assist Saudi authorities in the investigation into the bombings.

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