Let’s observe US caution

AMERICANS are justifiably jittery every year around 9/11. Undoubtedly the trauma of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001 has profoundly affected the American psyche. But whether a general state of vigilance on the anniversary every year is part of the reason why an unexpected alert was published on the US embassy website in South Africa this week is not known.

US officials haven’t described the specific information which led to the publication on Tuesday, of course, although reports said the information its security agencies had gathered on terrorist threats against its interests and citizens in South Africa was solid and reliable.

It’s somewhat frustrating to our interests, of course, in that any such alert could immediately affect our tourism and sense of stability. However, State Security Minister David Mahlobo has urged South Africans not to panic.

While dispelling fear on the ground that it’s a public relations exercise on his part, it’s also fair to say these kinds of alerts, especially from Western countries, are commonplace in the developing world in the current geopolitical environment. South Africa, like Malaysia and Egypt, plays a pivotal role in its region.

In March, for instance, Australia warned Kenya that militants could be planning fresh attacks in Nairobi. It then issued a travel alert. The Kenyan government was as concerned as ours as to the effect on tourism – and the attention given to terrorist groups. Just before that, the Americans had issued an alert around Uganda and 9/11 was months away at that time.

South Africa certainly plays a sufficiently powerful role for there to be the possibility of terrorism plotted against Westerners on our soil. After all, it has happened here with other Africans plotting against African interests. And let’s not forget that the so-called White Widow Samantha Lewthwaite – believed to have helped plan the mall attacks in Kenya, among other atrocities – lived here undetected while Interpol sought her arrest.

Caution cannot be underestimated.