SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Wednesday, October 9, 2002

ABU DHABI — A statement by the Kuwaiti government said two attackers who killed a U.S. Marine Tuesday during military exercises were members of Al Qaida.

The United States has urged its Arab allies to increase protection for American military and civilian personnel during the steady military buildup in the region.

Arab diplomatic sources said there is widespread concern that Al Qaida agents supported by Iraq have targeted U.S. troops in such countries as Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar, Middle East Newsline reported. They also said an attack on U.S. marines during an exercise in Kuwait was conducted by Al Qaida insurgents.

A U.S. marine was killed and another was injured in Tuesday's attack during the Eager Mace-2002 exercise. U.S. officials said Tuesday's attack was carried out by two assailants. Both of them were killed by fire from marines, who were exercising on Failaka island.

Later, a Kuwaiti government statement identified the attackers as two Kuwaiti nationals. The statement called the shooting a terrorist attack and government sources said both of them were Al Qaida insurgents trained in Afghanistan.

More than 1,000 marines are participating in the urban warfare exercise in the sheikdom. U.S. officials said Kuwaiti troops were not on the island during the exercise.

"It was security failure by the Kuwaitis and they know it," a U.S. government source said.

[In Washington, the CIA said Iraq and Al Qaida are developing a relationship that includes a range of issues. This includes cooperation on safe haven for Al Qaida and guarantees that each does not work against the other.]

The Defense Department and State Department have discussed with Arab allies ways to increase security and coordination with local embassies.

Officials said the plans included joint operations to rescue or evacuate Americans in a crisis.

In Kuwait, the National Guard held an exercise on Monday to test its response to a hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy. Commandos were deployed at the compound of the embassy in a simulation of a hostage rescue.

On Thursday, the U.S. embassy in Kuwait will conduct an exercise to determine the speed of an evacuation of personnel from the compound. The exercise will be composed of 100 people, who will be flown by helicopter to warships stationed nearby.

Officials said a key danger is in Jordan, where about 1,500 U.S. troops are arriving for an exercise in the southern part of the kingdom. The exercise, called "Early Victor," will contain troops from Jordan, Kuwait and Oman and is expected to formally begin within a few days.

So far, the United States is said to have reached agreement with several Arab allies for military facilities required for any war against Iraq. The London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat quoted U.S. sources as saying that Washington will soon build an air facility in Oman to accommodate fighter-jets and heavy bombers in the sultanate.

In addition, Egypt has agreed to serve as a supply and logistics center for U.S. Central Command. The newspaper said U.S. warplanes will not use Egypt as a launching pad for air attacks on Iraq.

-- Anonymous, October 09, 2002