U.S. Embassy Warns of Kuwait Terror Attacks

KUWAIT CITY – The U.S. Embassy on Wednesday warned Americans in Kuwait (search) of possible terror attacks and urged them to exercise caution.

In a message e-mailed to American citizens, the embassy said "it has credible information that terrorist groups are developing near-term plans for attacks against unspecified targets in Kuwait."

The embassy asked the 13,000 Americans registered with it to "exercise caution, maintain a low profile and avoid areas where Westerners are known to congregate."

It also told them to immediately report any suspicious activity to the Kuwaiti police or the embassy.

Kuwait has been a major ally of Washington since a U.S.-led coalition fought the 1991 Gulf War (search), which liberated the Gulf emirate from a seven-month Iraqi occupation. The small oil-rich state, which depends on the United States for protection, was the launch pad for the war that toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (search) about two years ago.

However, some fundamentalist militants have attacked American military personnel in recent years, killing one Marine and an American civilian contracted to the military.