Archive
International Religious Freedom Report for 2011
International Religious Freedom Report for 2011
Source: U.S. Department of State
To think, believe, or doubt. To speak or pray; to gather or stand apart. Such are the movements of the mind and heart, infinitives that take us beyond the finite. Freedom of religion, like all freedoms of thought and expression, are inherent. Our beliefs help define who we are and serve as a foundation for what we contribute to our societies. However, as the 2011 International Religious Freedom Report documents, too many people live under governments that abuse or restrict freedom of religion. People awaken, work, suffer, celebrate, raise children, and mourn unable to follow the dictates of their faith or conscience. Yet, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, governments have committed to respect freedom of religion. As President Barack Obama said, they ought to "bear witness and speak out" when violations of religious freedom occur.
With these reports, we bear witness and speak out. We speak against authoritarian governments that repressed forms of expression, including religious freedom. Governments restricted religious freedom in a variety of ways, including registration laws that favored state-sanctioned groups, blasphemy laws, and treatment of religious groups as security threats. The report focuses special attention on key trends such as the impact of political and demographic transitions on religious minorities, who tended to suffer the most in 2011; the effects of conflict on religious freedom; and the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Impacted groups, to name just a few, included Baha’is and Sufis in Iran; Christians in Egypt; Ahmadis in Indonesia and Pakistan; Muslims in a range of countries, including in Europe; Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, and Uighur Muslims in China; and Jews in many parts of the world.
State Department — Egypt — Country Specific Information
Egypt — Country Specific Information
Source: U.S. Department of State
On the night of October 9, 2011 demonstrations in downtown Cairo, in the vicinity of Tahrir Square, turned violent and resulted in numerous deaths and hundreds of injuries. A series of elections for the lower and upper houses of parliament isare scheduled to take place from November 2011 through March 2012. Politically-motivated rallies and demonstrations are likely to occur in the period leading to and likely following the elections. In the past nine months, demonstrations have degenerated on several occasions into violent clashes between police and protesters, in some instances resulting in deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security. The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and lead to clashes with security forces or even rival groups.
There have been instances of instability and public disorder in some other areas of Egypt, most notably in the Nile Valley governorates of Assiut and Sohag, located between Cairo and Luxor. These governorates, along with the adjacent governorates of Minya and Qena, have been areas of extremist activity in the past. U.S. Embassy personnel traveling to these areas (apart from Luxor and adjacent tourist destinations) require advance approval. Egyptian authorities also restrict the travel of foreigners to these governorates. U.S. citizens planning to travel in these areas should contact the Embassy prior to travel.
Trafficking in Persons Report 2012
Trafficking in Persons Report 2012
Source: U.S. Department of State
From press release:
On Tuesday, June 19 at 4:00 p.m., Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will unveil the 2012 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report during a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State. As required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the TIP Report assesses governments around the world on their efforts to combat modern slavery. The 12th annual TIP Report includes narratives of 186 countries and territories. At the rollout event, Secretary Clinton will also honor the 2012 TIP Heroes, men and women whose personal efforts have made an extraordinary difference in the global fight against modern slavery. The event will be attended by members of the diplomatic corps, nongovernmental and international organization representatives, and anti-trafficking activists, including actress Jada Pinkett-Smith.
2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Source: U.S. Department of State
On May 24, 2012, the Secretary submitted the 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Human Rights Reports) to the United States Congress. The Human Rights Reports provide the facts underlying U.S. efforts to promote respect for human rights worldwide. They inform U.S. government policymaking and serve as a reference for other governments, international institutions, non-governmental organizations, scholars, interested citizens, and journalists. The Human Rights Reports assess each country’s situation against universal human rights standards, during each calendar year, and each report stands on its own. Countries are not compared to each other or placed in any order other than alphabetically by region. This year, the Department modernized both the format of the reports and the online user interface.
Human Rights Around the World in 2011: Key Trends
The reports record the state of human rights throughout the world in 2011. It was a year of significant change in the Middle East and North Africa as citizens stood up and demanded universal rights, dignity, greater economic opportunity, and increased political participation. Those demonstrations sent aftershocks rumbling around the world.
In Tunisia, citizens participated in transparent and credible elections for a Constituent Assembly. That Assembly elected a former political prisoner as the country’s interim prime minister. In Burma, the government took important steps toward political reform and released more than 200 of its political prisoners. And, in Colombia, the government continued to strive to improve justice in human rights cases.
Unfortunately, 2011 witnessed negative developments as well. A number of countries became less free as a result of flawed elections; restrictions on the universal rights to freedom of expression, assembly, or association, including on the Internet; moves to censor or intimidate the media; or attempts to control or curtail the activities of nongovernmental groups. Other disturbing trends include an increase in anti-Semitism, and continued persecution of other religious minorities, including Ahmadis, Baha’is, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Jews, and others. In many countries there was an increase in abuse, discrimination, and violence against members of racial and ethnic minorities; people with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
New Report Highlights Humanitarian Threat from “Dangerous Depots”
In recent years, accidental explosions at arms storage facilities in Cyprus, Russia, Turkmenistan, and elsewhere have highlighted significant potential risks to surrounding communities from poorly maintained, improperly stored, or inadequately guarded conventional weapons and munitions, as captured in a new State Department report.“Dangerous Depots: The Growing Humanitarian Problem Posed by Aging and Poorly Maintained Munitions Storage Sites” tracks accidental detonations at foreign military storage sites in recent years. The report, produced by Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement documents State Department efforts in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, to promote security by helping countries safely dispose of aging arms and munitions and improve stockpile management, two key steps toward preventing future accidents as well as reducing potential proliferation risks.Since 2001, the United States has partnered with more than 50 countries to promote safe disposal of surplus and aging weapons and munitions, including 1.5 million small arms and light weapons, more than 90,000 tons of munitions, and more than 32,900 man-portable air defense systems. In addition, U.S. experts have worked with partners to improve stockpile management practices. When requested, we have also deployed our Quick Reaction Force of civilian technical experts to help partner countries mitigate risks from potentially dangerous depots and safely remove and dispose of materials following incidents at these facilities.
Briefing on U.S. Efforts in the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa
As you all know, on July 20th, 2011, some six months ago, famine was declared in parts of the Horn of Africa. So today, we have invited senior members from the State Department to provide an update on continued U.S. efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the region as well as some of the ongoing security challenges that exist.
So joining us today are Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy for the Bureau of African Affairs; David Robinson, who is the Acting Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration; and Nancy Lindborg, who is the Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development. They’ll each speak briefly at the top here and then we’ll open it up to your questions.
Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs Release of Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Volume XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974
Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs Release of Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Volume XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974
Source: U.S. Department of State
The Department of State released today Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XV, Soviet Union, June 1972–August 1974. Continuing the practice established in recent Foreign Relations volumes on the Soviet Union, this volume places Soviet-American relations in the global context of the Cold War, highlighting the conflicts and collaboration between the two superpowers.
The volume includes numerous direct personal communications between President Richard Nixon and Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev covering a host of issues, including clarifying the practical application of the SALT I and AMB agreements signed in Moscow. Other major themes covered include the war in Indochina, arms control, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), commercial relations and most-favored-nation status, grain sales, the emigration of Soviet Jews, Jackson-Vanik legislation, and the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war. High-level meetings and summits, both in the United States and the Soviet Union, are documented in detail, including Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger’s conversations with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko leading up to Nixon’s final visit to the Soviet Union in June 1974.
Department of State Announces Publication of 29th edition The World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers Report
The Department of State’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance is pleased to announce its recent online publication of the 29th edition of the State Department’s World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) report, covering the years 1995-2005, on the State Department’s website at http://www.state.gov/t/avc/rls/rpt/wmeat/2005/index.htm.
Department of State Announces Publication of 2010 Digest of United States Practice in International Law
The Department of State is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the 2010 Digest of United States Practice in International Law, covering developments during 2010. This edition of the Digest is available electronically on the State Department’s website (www.state.gov/s/l/c8183.htm) and will be available in print on December 30, 2011.
The Digest traces its history back to an 1877 treatise by John Cadwalader, which was followed by multi-volume encyclopedias covering selected areas of international law. The Digest later came to be known to many as “Whiteman’s” after Marjorie Whiteman, the editor from 1963-1971. Beginning in 1973, the Office of the Legal Adviser published the Digest on an annual basis, changing its focus to documentation current to the year. Although publication was temporarily suspended after 1988, the office resumed publication in 2000 and has since produced volumes covering 1989 through 2010. A cumulative index covering 1989-2006 was published in 2007, and an updated edition of that index, covering 1989-2008, was published in 2010.
Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Symposiums on Dismantling Transnational Illicit Networks Issues Final Report
Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Symposiums on Dismantling Transnational Illicit Networks Issues Final Report
Source: U.S. Department of State
Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William R. Brownfield and European External Action Service Director for North America and the Caribbean Tomas Dupla del Moral, Co-Chairs of the Trans-Atlantic Symposium on Dismantling Transnational Illicit Networks, signed and issued the Symposium’s Final Report on November 7. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the European Union (EU) European External Action Service (EEAS) co-hosted the Trans-Atlantic Symposium on Dismantling Transnational Illicit Networks on May 17-19, 2011, in Lisbon, Portugal.
More than 300 senior law enforcement and judicial officials from over 65 countries, including representatives from the United States, the European Union (represented by the EEAS and the European Commission including the European Anti-Fraud Office) and its Member States, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean and West Africa, participated. Among senior representatives of international and regional organizations included officials from the G8, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Economic Community of West African States, the Organization of American States, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa.
The Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs also released the Co-Chairs’ Summary of Outcomes of the Trans-Pacific Symposium’s Workshop on Combating Corruption and Illicit Trade. More than 125 law enforcement and other government officials from 30 Asia-Pacific economies and representatives of regional and international organisations attended a workshop held under the auspices of the Trans-Pacific Symposium in Phuket, Thailand from 27-29 October 2011. The Phuket workshop was co-hosted by the governments of Thailand and the United States, in partnership with The Colombo Plan and other international partners.
The Trans-Atlantic Symposium Final Report will be available at the Symposium’s official website:http://eeas.europa.eu/events/symposium2011 and on Department of State INL website at:http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/176927.htm. The Trans-Pacific Workshop Co-Chair’s Summary of Outcomes will also be posted on Department of State INL website at http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/176681.htm
State Department Travel Warning: Nigeria
State Department Travel Warning: Nigeria
Source: U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria, and continues to recommend U.S. citizens avoid all but essential travel to the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers; the Southeastern states of Abia, Edo, Imo; the city of Jos in Plateau State, Bauchi and Borno States in the northeast; and the Gulf of Guinea because of the risks of kidnapping, robbery, and other armed attacks in these areas. Violent crime committed by individuals and gangs, as well as by persons wearing police and military uniforms, remains a problem throughout the country. This notice replaces the Travel Warning for Nigeria dated October 19, 2010, to update information on recent violent activity and crime in Nigeria.
On August 26, 2011, a suicide bombing at the UN Headquarters in Abuja killed 23 people and wounded more than 80 other individuals. This attack was the first against an international organization and the fourth bombing in Abuja during the past year. It followed a similar bombing against the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters ten weeks earlier that killed five individuals on June 16. These bombings were in addition to bombings elsewhere in Maiduguri, Suleja, and Jos throughout the last year.
The risk of additional attacks against Western targets in Nigeria remains high. In December 2010, a bomb exploded near an Abuja “fish bar,” killing several people and injuring many others. Also in December 2010, several explosive devices detonated in Jos, Plateau State, and alleged members of an extremist group attacked police and others in Maiduguri, Borno State, leading to significant casualties. In October 2010, two car bombs detonated in downtown Abuja during Independence Day celebrations, killing ten and wounding many others. Since March 2010, five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have detonated in the Niger Delta region, causing one to three reported casualties in each case.
State Department Travel Warning: Iran
State Department Travel Warning: Iran
Source: U.S. Department of State
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to carefully consider the risks of travel to Iran. Dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran. U.S. citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and carefully consider nonessential travel. The Travel Warning for Iran issued October 8, 2010 has been reviewed and reissued without change.
Some elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States. As a result, U.S. citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran. Since 2009, Iranian authorities have prevented the departure, in some cases for several months, of a number of Iranian-American citizens, including journalists and academics, who traveled to Iran for personal or professional reasons. Iranian authorities also have unjustly detained or imprisoned U.S. citizens on various charges, including espionage and posing a threat to national security. U.S. citizens of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by authorities before planning travel to Iran. Iranian authorities deny the U.S. Interests Section in Tehran access to imprisoned dual national Iranian-American citizens because Iranian authorities consider them to be solely Iranian citizens; access to U.S. citizens is often denied as well.
The Iranian government continues to repress some minority religious and ethnic groups, including Baha’i, Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, and others. Consequently, some areas within the country where these minorities reside, including the Baluchistan border area near Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kurdish northwest of the country, and areas near the Iraqi border, remain unsafe. U.S. citizens who travel to Iran should exercise caution.
Department of State Travel Warning: Mauritania
Department of State Travel Warning: Mauritania
Source: U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to Mauritania, and urges extreme caution for those who chose to travel to Mauritania due to increased activities by the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). AQIM continues to demonstrate its intent and ability to conduct attacks against foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens. This replaces the Travel Warning for Mauritania, issued on March 11, 2011, to update information on security incidents and remind travelers of security concerns.
As noted in the Department of State’s Worldwide Caution dated July 26, 2011, AQIM has been designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.
As a result of perceived Western involvement in counterterrorism efforts, AQIM has declared its intention to attack Western targets. It is possible that AQIM will attempt retaliatory attacks against Western targets of opportunity. The Mauritanian military continues to engage in action against AQIM elements.
Department of State Travel Warning: Lebanon
Department of State Travel Warning: Lebanon
Source: U.S. Department of State
The Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to current safety and security concerns. U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued on April 4, 2011, to update information on security and kidnapping threats, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains. Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. Access to borders, airports, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning. Public demonstrations occur frequently with little warning and have the potential to become violent. Family or neighborhood disputes often escalate quickly and can lead to gunfire or other violence with little or no warning. The ability of U.S. government personnel to reach travelers or provide emergency services may at times be severely limited.
A number of extremist groups operate in Lebanon, including some, such as Hizballah, that the U.S. government has designated as terrorist organizations. U.S. citizens have been the target of numerous terrorist attacks in Lebanon in the past, and the threat of anti-Western terrorist activity continues to exist in Lebanon. U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Lebanon despite this Travel Warning should keep a low profile, varying times and routes for all required travel. U.S. citizens also should pay close attention to their personal security at locations where Westerners generally are known to congregate, and should avoid demonstrations and large gatherings.
State Department Travel Warning: Syria
State Department Travel Warning: Syria
Source: U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens in Syria to depart immediately while commercial transportation is available. Given the ongoing uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens who must remain in Syria are advised to limit nonessential travel within the country. U.S. citizens not in Syria should defer all travel to Syria at this time. Effective September 29, 2011, the Department of State is lifting the Ordered Departure status for U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. The Embassy continues to provide passport services, as well as other emergency services to U.S. citizens. As staff levels at the Embassy remain restricted, our ability to assist U.S. citizens in an emergency is limited and may be further constrained by the fluid security situation. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Syria issued on September 15, 2011, to note the lifting of Ordered Departure status at the U.S. Embassy.
Since March 2011, demonstrations throughout Syria have been violently suppressed by Syrian security forces, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and detentions. Demonstrations, and violent government reactions to them, can occur with little or no warning anytime and anywhere. Recent demonstrations have occurred on university campuses, main streets, public squares, mosques, and other places of public gathering. On July 11, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and other embassies in Damascus were violently attacked by people participating in a pro-government demonstration, resulting in the U.S. Embassy closing for one day. We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of a demonstration.
Several cities, including Damascus, have been placed under heightened security. Travelers on Syrian roads have encountered an increased number of checkpoints and roadblocks impeding travel and preventing entry to or exit from affected cities.
State Department Travel Warning: Mali
State Department Travel Warning: Mali
Source: U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the risk of travel to Mali, and to recommend against all travel to the north of the country due to kidnapping threats against Westerners. This revision of the March 9, 2011, Travel Warning for Mali updates security-related information.
As noted in the Department of State’s Worldwide Caution dated July 26, 2011, al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) has declared its intention to attack Western targets. The Department is aware of several separate sources of information indicating AQIM’s ongoing interest in kidnapping Westerners throughout the Sahel region. Joint Mali-Mauritania military operations against AQIM in July-August 2011 have also increased the risk of terrorist retaliation in northern Mali. The U.S. Embassy in Bamako has issued several emergency messages for U.S. citizens regarding these threats, as have the U.S. Embassies in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Nouakchott, Mauritania andNiamey, Niger.
On January 5, 2011, an individual claiming connections to AQIM attacked the French Embassy in Bamako with a handgun and an improvised-explosive device. Two injuries were reported. On January 7, 2011, two French nationals were kidnapped in Niamey, Niger. They were found dead less than 24 hours later following a rescue attempt by French and Nigerien military forces. On February 2, 2011, a vehicle containing explosive materials failed to stop at a security check point outside of Nouakchott, Mauritania. Mauritanian security forces opened fire and the vehicle exploded, killing the vehicle’s passengers. Mauritanian security forces were on alert for suspected AQIM vehicles that possibly had entered Mauritania to conduct terrorist attacks. In early February 2011, an Italian woman was kidnapped in southern Algeria, and it is possible she is being held in northern Niger or northern Mali.
In September 2010, seven people, including five French nationals, a Togolese national, and a Malagasy national, were kidnapped from the mining town of Arlit, Niger. Four of these people are still being held hostage by AQIM. On July 24, 2010, AQIM executed a French hostage in retaliation for the killing of six AQIM members during a Mauritanian-launched hostage rescue operation with French assistance in northern Mali. As a result of Western involvement in these operations, it is possible that AQIM will attempt retaliatory attacks against other Western targets of opportunity.
State Department Background Note: Tunisia
State Department Background Note: Tunisia
Source: U.S. Department of State
Official Name: Tunisian Republic
]
Geography
Location: North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya.
Area: 163,610 sq. km. (63,378 sq. mi.), slightly smaller than Missouri.
Cities: Capital–Tunis; Sfax, Bizerte, Sousse, Nabeul.
Terrain: Arable land in north and along central coast; south is mostly semiarid or desert.
Climate: Hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Land use: Arable land–17.05%; permanent crops–13.08%; other–69.87%.
State Department Travel Warning: Iraq
Travel Warning: Iraq
Source: U.S. Department of State
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq given the dangerous security situation. Civilian air and road travel within Iraq remains dangerous. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated April 12, 2011, to update information and to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns for U.S. citizens in Iraq, including kidnapping and terrorist violence.
The United States has reduced the number of U.S. military forces in Iraq and ended the combat mission there on August 31, 2010. Consistent with agreements between the two countries, the United States is scheduled to complete its withdrawal of military forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011.
Some regions within Iraq have experienced fewer violent incidents than others in recent years, in particular the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). However, violence and threats against U.S. citizens persist and no region should be considered safe from dangerous conditions. Attacks against military and civilian targets throughout Iraq continue, including in the International (or “Green”) Zone (IZ). Methods of attack have included magnetic bombs placed on vehicles; roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs); mortars and rockets; human- and vehicle-borne IEDs, including Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs); mines placed on or concealed near roads; suicide attacks; and shootings. Numerous insurgent groups remain active throughout Iraq. Although Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) operations against these groups continue, attacks against the ISF and U.S. forces persist in many areas of the country. U.S. citizens in Iraq remain at a high risk for kidnapping.
State Department Travel Warning: Syria
Travel Warning: Syria
Source: U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State urges U.S. citizens in Syria to depart immediately while commercial transportation is available. Given the ongoing uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens who must remain in Syria are advised to limit nonessential travel within the country. U.S. citizens not in Syria should defer all travel to Syria at this time. On August 18, the U.S. imposed additional sanctions against the Government of Syria restricting financial or material support by U.S. citizens or residents to the Government of Syria. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Syria issued on August 5, 2011, to provide updated information on the impact recent sanctions on Syria may have on U.S. citizens and residents conducting business in Syria, and to provide updated information on the security situation in Syria.
The Department of State ordered all eligible family members of U.S. government employees as well as certain non-emergency personnel to depart Syria on April 25, 2011. The Embassy continues to provide passport services, as well as other emergency services to U.S. citizens.
Since March 2011, demonstrations throughout Syria have been violently suppressed by Syrian security forces, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and detentions. Demonstrations, and violent government reactions to them, can occur with little or no warning anytime and anywhere. Recent demonstrations have occurred on university campuses, main streets, public squares, mosques, and other places of public gathering. On July 11, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and other embassies in Damascus were violently attacked by people participating in a pro-government demonstration, resulting in the U.S. Embassy closing for one day. We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of a demonstration.
State Department Travel Warning: Algeria
Travel Warning: Algeria
Source: U.S. Department of State
The State Department warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Algeria. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning for Algeria dated March 16, 2011 to update information on the current security situation in Algeria and the continuing threat posed by terrorism, and to reiterate information on security incidents and recommendations on security awareness.
The Department of State urges U.S. citizens who travel to Algeria to evaluate carefully the risks posed to their personal safety. Terrorist attacks, including bombings, false roadblocks, kidnappings, and ambushes occur regularly, particularly in rural areas such as the Kabylie region of the country. The use of suicide bomb attacks, particularly vehicle-borne attacks, emerged as a terrorist tactic in Algeria, including in the capital, beginning in 2007. The group that claimed credit for the December 11, 2007 suicide car-bomb attacks in Algiers has pledged more attacks against foreign targets and specifically against U.S. targets. The same group is believed to operate in southern Algeria and to be linked to the kidnapping in February 2011 of a western tourist in the southeast, near the Nigerian border. This regional kidnapping threat was noted in the Department of State’s Worldwide Caution dated July 26, 2011.
The Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens avoid overland travel in Algeria. U.S. citizens who reside or travel in Algeria should take prudent personal security measures to include stocking adequate reserves of medicine, food, and water for use during an emergency. Additionally, sporadic episodes of civil unrest have been known to occur, such as the riots in Algiers and many other cities from January 2011 to the present. U.S. citizens should avoid large crowds and maintain security awareness at all times. Visitors to Algeria are advised to stay only in hotels where adequate security is provided. All visitors to Algeria should remain alert and adhere to prudent security practices such as avoiding predictable travel patterns and maintaining a low profile.
