Islamist Web Site Warns U.A.E. to Eject Non-Muslims

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Islamist Web Site Warns U.A.E. to Eject Non-Muslims (Update1) July 24 (Bloomberg) -- An Islamist Web site warned the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East's fourth-largest oil producer, to expel non Muslims and Westerners, including the U.S. ambassador and other U.S. citizens, within 10 days or risk attack. There are about 20,000 U.S. citizens resident in the U.A.E., according to the U.S. embassy in Dubai. The U.K., which is recovering from bomb attacks in London on July 7 that killed 56 people, has 100,000 of its citizens there. ``If you refuse to do this, we ask God to settle the matter or we will settle it with our own hands,'' said the statement posted July 19 by an unidentified individual on al-Sakifah Web site, which carries statements attributed to al-Qaeda in Iraq. Security concerns are rising among governments in the Middle East allied to the U.S. following the attacks in London and the blasts early yesterday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, which killed more than 85 people and wounded 200. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar boosted security of oil sites this year. ``All threats are taken seriously,'' said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Hilary Olsin-Windecker in a telephone interview today from Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E.'s capital. The statement criticized the U.A.E. for letting U.S. naval vessels dock at Jebel Ali port on the Persian Gulf and permitting shore leave in Dubai for crew of aircraft carriers, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, U.S.S. John F. Kennedy and U.S.S. Harry S. Truman. The Web statement called for the removal of the U.S. ambassador to the Emirates. The U.S. has no permanent military bases in the country, said the U.S. embassy spokeswoman. To contact the reporter on this story: Andy Critchlow in Dammam, Saudi Arabia at at acritchlow1@bloomberg.net Last Updated: July 24, 2005 06:00 EDT