U.S. Embassy alert in Kyiv kept hush-hush (11/08/98)

U.S. Embassy alert in Kyiv kept hush-hush

Eastern Economist

KYIV - U.S. citizens in Ukraine's capital expressed concern that a high-level security alert that apparently included Marines being flown into Ukraine was not released officially until Friday afternoon, October 23, although most Embassy staff were sent home on paid administrative leave the day before.

The memo sent out to State Department contractors said in part, "The U.S. government has received information indicating a terrorist attack may be planned against the American Embassy in Kiev [sic]. Additional security precautions are being taken and the Ukrainian authorities continue to provide full support to ensure the security of the Embassy as well as the other mission elements."

"We were uninformed for 36 hours," said Tom Garrett of IRI.

"We were left very isolated and possibly vulnerable."

"I only heard about it through very indirect channels," said an employee of a construction firm, adding: "The AmCham had nothing on it at all."

Another American [American Chamber of Commerce] who did not wish to be identified said: "All newer U.S. missions are supposed to be built to certain anti-terrorist standards since 1986. Can that be said of, say, the USAID offices in Podil?"

Some expats felt concerned enough to move restaurant appointments from popular hang-outs to less well-known locations on Friday.

A number of alerts have gone out to U.S. missions around the world in recent months, after the double attack on U.S. diplomatic posts in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam in August.

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