US consulates close worldwide after Al Qaeda threat

Bangladeshi police stopped a motorist in front of the US embassy building in Dhaka, Bangladesh that remained closed due to a security threat of terrorist attacks that led to the weekend closure of 21 US embassies and consulates in the Middle East and North Africa, including those in Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Tel Aviv. The United States also issued a global travel warning to Americans, the first such alert since an announcement before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 strikes.

The US Embassy in Cairo was closed on Aug. 4 after the US issued a warning to its citizens and travelers following message intercepts by senior Al Qaeda members discussing attacks against American targets. Americans in the Middle East were warned to avoid crowded places such as stations and travel areas. The US Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General in Jerusalem are normally closed on both Saturdays and Sundays.

Police officers stood guard outside the US embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Interpol issued a global security alert on Aug. 3 after jailbreaks linked to Al Qaeda freed hundreds of militants, alongside temporary closure of certain US embassies and consulates.

Barriers blocked access to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel on Aug. 3.

Yemeni police manned a checkpoint in Sana following the US alert. Britain also said it would temporarily close its embassy in Yemen as US lawmakers said the threat likely involved Al Qaeda’s franchise in the country.

Security barriers blocked access to the US Embassy in Sana.

Bangladeshi policemen stood guard outside the US embassy in Dhaka on Aug. 4.

An Indonesian policeman stood guard outside the US embassy in Jakarta.

A Bahraini armored vehicle and personnel reinforced US Embassy security just outside of a gate to the building in Manama, Bahrain on Aug. 4. Security forces closed access roads, put up extra blast walls and beefed up patrols near some of the 21 US diplomatic missions in the Muslim world.