Australian gov't warns of potential UAE terror strike

NEW INFORMATION: The Australian government has issued a statement warning of a possible terrorist attack in the UAE in early October. (Getty Images)

The Australian government has issued a statement warning of a possible terrorist attack in the UAE in early October.

The government’s department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has amended its travel advice for the UAE, advising of potential terrorist attacks “on or around October 1”.

According the department's website, the travel advice was last updated on October 2, but it is unclear when the warning was first issued.

The statement says “new information” has seen its travel advice reviewed and reissued, although its official warning is still only for travellers to ‘exercise a high degree of caution’.

“Information suggests that terrorists may be planning attacks against a range of targets, possibly on the Arabian Peninsula and in Jordan, to coincide with Eid el Fitr on or around 1 October 2008.

“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the United Arab Emirates because of the high threat of terrorist attack,” the statement says.

The website says the countries at risk include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

“The terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda continues to publicly threaten to attack Westerners in the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf region. Terrorists have attacked Westerners in this region. Further attacks against targets in the Arabian Peninsula, including the UAE, cannot be ruled out."

Threats by international terrorist groups include references to residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests, and commercial and public areas frequented by Westerners are possible targets, the statement warns.

In June, the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) upgraded its UAE terrorism threat level from 'general' to 'high' and the US also warned its citizens about the potential danger of attacks in the emirates.

Despite the fresh warnings, excluding Saudi Arabia, terrorist attacks in the Gulf are rare.

According to the FCO, the only incident of note was a suicide-bomb attack on March 19, 2005 outside the Doha Players’ Theatre in Qatar.

One British national was killed and at least 12 other people were injured.

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Terrorist Threat Warning
Posted by Sue-Sharyn Ward, Dubai, UAE on Sunday 5 October 2008 at 13:26 UAE time


The Australian Govt has been issuing travel advices on the region for many years as have other western Govts. I have lived in Dubai for 30 years, through the Iran/Iraq War, 1st Gulf War and 2nd Gulf War, each time we were told of potential danger or threats this helped to create an awareness and understanding that we must not take the security we enjoy for granted.

Warning
Posted by Salim ALSuwaidi, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Saturday 4 October 2008 at 19:43 UAE time

I think after all these terror attack warning in the past few months didn't work out, they are doing this to ask their national people to return back home. I think this will help in a bit with the traffic jams we see daily if people start to listen to their government.

Inevitable
Posted by IncidentFlux, U.A.E. on Friday 3 October 2008 at 16:39 UAE time

No country is immune from violence, and its naive to think the UAE is going to remain a completely safe place forever. Safety and security are relative concepts. My new car was broken into first month I bought it, that was five years ago.

Best anyone can do is educate people, and help them vent their frustrations positively. With the way the UAE govt. is putting pressure on its population, chances are people are going to snap soon. Question is... when?

Australian Terrorist
Posted by PP, Dubai, UAE on Friday 3 October 2008 at 16:17 UAE time

When did they release this warning? Surely letting people know of dangers two days after the proposed date is a bit pointless

Dirty politics
Posted by Mpower, Dubai on Friday 3 October 2008 at 14:02 UAE time

The chances of any terrorist attacks are higher in Australia then in UAE, and the probability of an Australian getting knocked off in their own country rather than Dubai are at all time high.

Australia is just following the British Commission.

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