Lebanon
The U.S. Department of State and Persian Gulf countries have issued restrictions on travel to Lebanon following continued unrest in the Middle Eastern nation. The U.S., United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have proclaimed Lebanon unsafe for citizens of their countries due to escalating casualties and violence from the Syrian conflict spilling over into Lebanon.
The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory in May 2012 urging Americans to avoid traveling to Lebanon or to leave the country if they are already there. "The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains," the U.S. Department of State warns. The potential for danger stems from a variety of extremist groups which currently exist in Lebanon, including Hizballah, which the U.S. government categorizes as a terrorist organization.
The border regions in Lebanon near Syria also include potential for violence. On April 9, 2012, a journalist in a border area of Lebanon was killed by gunfire from Syria.
Kidnapping also continues to be a problem in Lebanon, and the U.S. government does not pay ransom.
Saudi Arabia
On May 18, 2012, the U.S. Department of State also issued an advisory about travel in Saudi Arabia due to terrorist organizations targeting Westerners. The government has had an ongoing advisory for the nation and although the U.S. Department of State website advises that conditions are improving, American visitors are still urged to exercise extreme caution and only stay in lodgings with high levels of security.
Algeria
On May 4, 2012, the U.S. Department of State issued an advisory about travel to Algeria. Terrorist attacks, bombings, ambush situations and kidnappings continue to happen regularly, according to the U.S. Department of State website, and American visitors are advised to reconsider travel in the nation, and to prepare for all risks if they decide to proceed with travel. U.S. citizens who live in Algeria should maintain stocks of water, medicine and food in case of emergency situations, the State Department advises.
Other Advisories
The U.S. has also issued travel warnings for the following countries:
Iran
Cote d'Ivoire
Burundi
Eritrea
Mali
Niger
Kenya
Chad
Yemen
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
Syria
Nigeria
Colombia
Mexico
Pakistan
Iraq
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Sudan
Philippines
Central African Republic
Republic of South Sudan
Afghanistan
Guinea
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Mauritania
Libya
Somalia
Haiti
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
