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American Morning

State Department Issues Travel Warning

Aired May 30, 2001 - 11:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Hours after the verdict, several travel warnings were posted for Americans abroad. CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us from Washington now with that sense of what they are telling us -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stephen, it turns out they have more for summer vacationers to worry about than high gasoline prices. If you are planning on traveling abroad, the State Department wants you to be very careful. It expects there may be individuals or groups seeking payback for the convictions of four men in connection with the bombings of the U.S. embassies. And they fear reprisals could come in the form of random terror attacks against U.S. tourists from Osama bin Laden or his followers.

So they are issuing a global warning, urging U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness to reduce their vulnerability. The State Department says it has received no specific threats in response to the verdict.

But it does have information that there will be trouble of a different sort in Gothenburg, Sweden. The European Union summit is there next month. And according to the State Department, there is a potential that some of the demonstrators may become disorderly or violent. They fear a repeat or escalation of the problems the World Bank and World Trade Organizations suffered at their big meetings. Though State Department officials say the Swedish authorities are working to keep things under control, 10,000 demonstrators are expected at the June 14 summit.

And if you are thinking of someplace off the beaten track for that summer vacation, cross Tajikistan off the list. The State Department warns there have been reports indicating an incursion by the INU, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan may occur this year. In the past, the INU has used summer as a time to raid Tajikistan and take foreigners hostage.

So the State Department says it is a dangerous world out there. Perhaps there is no place this summer like home, sweet home. Back to you.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there went the summer trip to Tajikistan.

FRAZIER: That's right. Go to Stone Mountain, Georgia.

KAGAN: Back to the drawing board on that one.

FRAZIER: Six Flags.

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