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War footing sparks travel warningsPowell tells reporters they are potential hostage targets
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As the seemingly irresistible march towards war continues unabated, the list of countries issuing and subject to travel warnings grows longer. The U.S. State Department on Sunday ordered all non-essential consular personnel and dependents to leave Kuwait, Syria, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and also warned U.S. citizens against travel to these areas. The move coincided with similar instructions issued by other governments, such as Germany and Australia, urging their nationals to leave Iraq. The spate of travel warnings came as U.S. President George W. Bush warned "Monday [represents] the moment of truth for the world." The U.S. has also warned its citizens in the relatively liberal Gulf nation United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avoid large crowds and nightspots popular with Westerners and to exercise caution when traveling within the country.(Americans warned) The decision "is a result of an overall assessment of the security situation in the region due to the threat of military action in Iraq," the State Department said in three separate travel warnings issued simultaneously Sunday night. Private American citizens in Syria, Kuwait, Israel and the territories "are strongly urged to depart immediately," the warnings said. "In the event of military action in Iraq, there is a risk that Iraq or terrorist organizations may use chemical and/or biological materials which could affect the region," the State Department said. Journalists warnedThe travel warning for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza mentioned ongoing violence that has caused "numerous" civilian deaths and casualties, including to some U.S. tourists, students, and residents. Sunday, a bulldozer in Rafah, in southern Gaza, killed Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American student who was protesting Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes. The warnings also noted that military action in Iraq could cause disruptions in commercial flights, which would make departure from those areas more difficult. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday journalists and others should consider leaving Baghdad because Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could take them hostage. "I think it is a dangerous time in Baghdad and each person in Baghdad, whether a news person, inspector or in some other capacity, has to take a look at whether or not it is not time to leave," Powell said in an interview with CNN's "Late Edition." "It is a judgment each of them will have to make not just for the threat of potential military action, but from the threat of Saddam Hussein taking them as hostages," he said.
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