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.
``If you refuse to do this, we ask God to settle the matter or we will settle it with our own hands,'' said the posting July 19 by an unidentified individual on al-Sakifah Web site, which also carries statements attributed to al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Hilary Olsin-Windecker, spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Dubai, said in a telephone interview ``all threats are taken seriously.'' About 20,000 U.S. citizens are resident in the U.A.E., she said. About 100,000 U.K. expatriates also live there.
The U.A.E.'s open borders, cosmopolitan demographics and pro- U.S. stance could make it a target for terrorism, said Kevin Rosser, a security analyst at Control Risks Group. Still, he advised treating the Internet posting with caution.
Bloomberg