State Department issues Libya travel warning – read more about this forbidden destination


As the unrest in the Middle East continues, the US Department of State has issued a Libya travel warning, advising Americans to steer clear of the country, and especially of “gatherings” there. The Wall Street Journal reports:

“‘U.S. citizens in Libya should minimize overall travel in-country, exercise extreme caution when traveling, and limit all travel after dark,’ the US said in a travel advisory. It said demonstrations, violence and looting were all possible over the next several days, and urged US citizens to stay away from any gatherings.

‘Even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and a foreigner could become a target of harassment, or worse,’ according to the State Department advisory.”

I know I’m not the only one who will have no trouble staying out of Libya in the near future. Confession time: I had never considered going there. So, why do people travel to Libya? Gadling’s Tom Johansmeyer posted about a package deal there back in August 2010 (An easy way to get to Libya), with quotes about its “archaeological riches” and “a sense of discovery in a land virtually unknown to the modern world.” Libya also reportedly has 1250 miles of coastline “teeming with underwater wrecks, ruins and Nazi gold,” making it a highly-prized scuba diving destination (see: Diving in Libya). Furthermore, it’s a popular cruise ship port for the British and Italians (see: Will Libya Again Open to US Cruise Passengers?).

In case you or any of your friends were already in-the-know about the secret wonders of Libya, Americans in Libya are being urged to contact the embassy in Tripoli with the following contact details:

  • +218 (0)21-337-3250
  • After business hours: 091-220-5207
  • LibyaEmergencyUSC@state.gov

[Source: WSJ]

[Photo by anniemullinsuk via Flickr.]

River cruises, land tours canceled as evacuation from Egypt begins

While at least 2,400 U.S. citizens are seeking evacuation from Egypt today, only two charter planes arranged by the U.S. Department of State have taken left the scene , one landing in Cyprus and the other on the way to Athens, Greece. It looks like it is going to take some time to make those evacuation plans happen.

“People should be prepared for a very long wait,” Janice Jacobs, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for consular affairs told CNN.

With an estimated 52,000 Americans in Egypt, 2,400 have requested assistance evacuating. The US Department of State has issued a warning against traveling to Egypt and noted that those interested in evacuation People interested in evacuation via U.S. government-chartered transportation should contact the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo by sending an e-mail to EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov or by calling 1-202-501-4444.

Egypt land tours and Nile river cruises have been suspended with tour operators Abercrombie and Kent, Trafalgar tours, Uniworld, Avalon Waterways, Grand Circle Travel and Gate 1 Travel all canceling operations.

“It’s an absolute zoo, what a mess,” Justine Khanzadian, 23, a graduate student from the American University of Cairo told AOL Travel.

MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines, both scheduled to call at Alexandria, Egypt have modified their itineraries. The Norwegian Jade called at Istanbul Sunday. MSC Magnifica called at Limassol, Cyprus on Sunday and is calling at Haifa, Israel today. MSC Splendida will call at Izmir, Turkey.

Some of the popular tourist attractions in Alexandria, Egypt include Pompeii’s Pillar, The Tombs of Al-Anfushi, The Graeco-Roman Museum and The Museum of Fine Arts, known for its rich collection of sculptures, paintings and architectural works.

Flickr photo by Deanster 1983

State Department not budging on European travel warning

The State Department’s terror alert for Americans traveling and living in Europe is alive and well – and nobody cares. Even though there are concerns of a terrorist plot for a “Mumbai-style massacre,” according to Fox News, the State Department isn’t budging and Americans aren’t paying attention. But, the good news is that at least the British haven’t changed their level, which is “severe,” giving us at least some validation and a friend just like us.

Targets being watched include: the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, luxury Hotel Adlon near Berlin‘s Brandenburg Gate and Berlin’s Central Station.

According to Fox News:

State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Daniel Benjamin told journalists in London on Thursday that the American government’s position on the issue has not changed.

“We don’t view the conditions as warranting us rescinding the (travel) alert,” he said.

Why is this such a big deal? Well, the current U.S. alert is only a step below a formal warning to us to stay out of Europe.

[photo by geoftheref via Flickr]

Travel warning for Europe–U.S. government asks citizens to be on alert

The U.S. government will issue a travel warning today for its citizens going to Europe. The warning is in response to intelligence regarding plans by terrorists to launch Mumbai-style commando attacks in European cities.

The attacks in Mumbai in 2008 were carried out by small groups of heavily armed terrorists who attacked several spots in the city simultaneously. They killed at least 173 people and injured hundreds more. US and foreign intelligence officials say that Al-Qaeda is planning similar attacks in the UK, France, and Germany. Details of the plans were leaked to the press last week. Nobody has been arrested but officials say several European citizens of Asian origin are under surveillance.

The travel warning, which is not as serious as a travel advisory, will tell U.S. citizens of the heightened threat level and request them to be extra vigilant when visiting Europe. No specific countries will be named in the advisory.

So how best to deal with warning? It’s impossible to know where terrorism will strike next, and these vague reports from anonymous officials don’t really clear things up. For some good safety advice check out this post by former Gadling blogger Abha Malpani, who was in Mumbai at the time of the attacks.

[Image courtesy U.S. Navy]

Travel warning to Mexico canceled as swine flu fears ease

Yesterday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted its warning that travelers avoid non-essential trips to Mexico as fears over the swine flu have faded.

The CDC wrote on its website that “the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities… [and] the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico.”

Still, at-risk groups such as pregnant women, children under 5, and the elderly “may want to consider postponing travel,” according to the CDC.

Thousands of trips to Mexico were canceled over the CDC’s earlier warning, and most cruise ships were re-routed to avoid Mexico because of fears of the H1N1 virus, popularly known as the “swine flu.”

Time will tell whether the travelers return to Mexico, or whether flu fears will continue to keep people away– despite the CDC’s assertion that Mexican travel is now safe.

More here.