"We do recommend that individuals and families take some time to prepare for an emergency," said Ridge

WASHINGTON, February 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – With a U.S.-led war on Iraq looming large, Washington urged its nationals to leave several Middle East countries and started cutting its diplomatic representation across the region.

In a series of travel warnings issued late Friday, February 7, the State Department alerted Americans "to increased security concerns" in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and authorized the departure of "dependants and non-emergency employees" of its diplomatic missions in those states and areas, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Saturday, February 8.

The travel warnings said "U.S. citizens who remain, or travel in" those regions "despite this warning are encouraged to register at the consular sections" of the nearest U.S. embassy.

"Americans in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza should exercise caution and take prudent measures to maintain their security," the State Department said.

"The  warnings basically affect our people in countries that are within Scud missile range of Iraq," said one U.S. senior official.

The department also issued a travel warning for Iraq, saying it reflected an earlier "temporary closure" of the U.S. Interests Section in the Polish Embassy in Baghdad, which provided consular service to Americans in the absence of U.S. relations with Iraq.

"No consular services are available to U.S. citizens at this time in Iraq. The U.S. government continues to urge all U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Iraq. U.S. citizens in Iraq should depart," said the department's warning.

Authorized departure schemes, which allow non-essential diplomats and the families of all embassy staff to depart at Washington's expense, were put into place in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on January 30.

While the departures of diplomats are not mandatory, the moves reflect rising concerns about the safety of U.S. officials in what will be frontline states in the event of war.

Although there are existing State Department warnings for Israel, Jordan and Lebanon, advising U.S. citizens to defer travel there, these warnings do not include authorized departure programs.

Such a program, however, was briefly instituted in Jordan in November after the murder of a U.S. diplomat from the embassy in Amman in an attack blamed on al-Qaeda.

Earlier Friday, U.S. officials confirmed that Washington was closing the U.S. interests section in of the Polish Embassy in Baghdad, severing its final diplomatic link with Iraq in a move that has historically preceded armed conflict.

The spate of warnings comes amid a massive military buildup in the Gulf in preparation for a possible war.

Tens of thousands of troops are already in the region, and a total of 150,000 are expected to be there by the end of next week.

U.S. Terror Alert Rises to Orange

The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, put the United States on the second-highest state of alert on the color-coded chart of security warnings for a possible terrorist attack, warning of new al-Qaeda threats.

"Recent reporting indicates an increased likelihood that al-Qaeda may attempt to attack Americans in the United States and/or abroad in or around the end of the hajj," AFP quoted Attorney General John Ashcroft as saying.

"Al-Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States.

"There are also indications bolstered by the recent arrests in London, where the chemical ricin was discovered. These indications demonstrate al-Qaeda's interest in carrying out chemical, biological and radiological attacks," Ashcroft added.

"We do recommend that individuals and families in the days ahead take some time to prepare for an emergency," said Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge.

The announcement followed a State Department warning Thursday, February 6, alerting U.S. citizens abroad to a "heightened threat" of terrorist attacks, including those using chemical and biological weapons.

The last time the orange alert was sounded was September 10 last year, the day before the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

After two weeks, it returned to yellow, an indication of elevated risk, and the middle point on the five level scale.

The U.S. alert system is based on a five-color scale, ranging from green (low) and blue (guarded) to yellow (elevated), orange (high) and red (severe).