Almost all of the embassies and consulates that were shut down because of a terror threat last week will reopen Sunday. The one exception: Sanaa, Yemen, which “will remain closed because of ongoing concerns about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks emanating from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula,” according to the State Department statement. Also to remain shut is the consulate in Lahore, Pakistan that was closed down Thursday due to a “separate credible threat.”
We will continue to evaluate the threats to Sanaa and Lahore and make subsequent decisions about the re-opening of those facilities based on that information,” added the State Department.
President Obama’s willingness to shut down diplomatic outposts on specific terror threats illustrates how much the White House wants to avoid another Benghazi, notes the Associated Press. Officials say the attack on Benghazi “was playing a role in the decision-making,” according to the AP, noting that the White House has specifically ordered that embassies and consulates only be reopened after any meaningful threat has subsided.
