U.S. military orders families to leave Bahrain
Pentagon calls move a 'temporary relocation'
From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fearing possible terror attacks, the head of U.S. Central Command on Monday has ordered 650 U.S. military dependents to leave Bahrain within days.
The families will fly home on military transports and commercially chartered planes, military officials said.
The order by Gen. John Abizaid follows "credible intelligence" that the tiny Persian Gulf state could be the next site of a terrorist kidnapping or other attack against Americans, Pentagon sources said Friday.
Bahrain is headquarters for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and maritime components of U.S. Central Command, and the military has 4,500 service members stationed there. There are 350 military and Defense Department families in the country.
The Pentagon insists the mandatory departure is not an evacuation but rather a "temporary relocation." Families may be allowed to return in the future, if the security situation improves.
But a military official said the question is whether it is prudent at this time to keep American military family members in the country in light of growing insecurity and instability.
No plans are under way to withdraw U.S. troops or curtail military operations in Bahrain, the official said.
The U.S. military said intelligence indicates al Qaeda attacks are likely.
Americans have been dissatisfied with the Bahraini government's recent release of six terror suspects, sources said. The suspects were arrested June 22, and the Bahrainis said they let them go the next day for lack of evidence.
A senior State Department official said the suspects' release left the United States "quite concerned about Bahrain's commitment" to fight terror.
A State Department travel warning issued Thursday said that "credible information indicates extremists remain at large and are planning attacks in Bahrain."
Bahrain is a short drive over a causeway from neighboring Saudi Arabia -- where five American civilians have been killed so far this year. Among them was Paul Johnson, an Apache helicopter engineer employed by Lockheed Martin Corp., who was beheaded June 18.
Bahraini officials appear unhappy about the U.S. steps, which could signal the kingdom is not safe for Westerners. The government and ruling family of Bahrain are pro-Western and support the U.S. military.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.
