US issues Nordic, Baltic security warning

US citizens warned: On the eve of the presidential election, the United States sent out a terror warning yesterday to its citizens in the Baltic nations and Scandinavia.

"The US Department of State wishes to alert US citizens, either resident in or travelling through the Nordic/Baltic region, that it has received threat information and urges all US citizens in the Nordic and Baltic countries to be vigilant as to their surroundings, especially in centres of ground-based mass transit," a statement on the US embassy website in Finland declared.

A separate statement from the US embassy in the Latvian capital, Riga, told Americans in the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to stay away from shopping centres and train and bus stations: "US citizens are urged to avoid large shopping areas and transportation hubs on or about November 1st, 2004." Latvia boosted security at key embassies over the weekend, citing a threat from "Muslim extremists", but Norway still chose to shut down its representation in Riga yesterday.

"The embassy was closed because of concrete information from security forces we are cooperating with," said Norwegian Prime Minister Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik.

Denmark and all three Baltic states - which joined NATO and the European Union this year - have troops in Iraq, while Norway's soldiers are serving in Afghanistan.

Danish Prime Minister Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen said there was no concrete threat to US interests in his country, while Swedish leader Mr Goran Persson said Stockholm would not raise its current security level.

"One is always worried when one gets this type of information, particularly when it comes from such a large security service. But I don't think there is any reason to dramatise things unnecessarily," Mr Persson insisted.

Finnish Prime Minister Mr Matti Vanhanen said he had discussed the US warning with officials in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

"The authorities take this seriously because Monday, November 1st has been mentioned as a possible date for terrorist actions," Mr Vanhanen said.

Finland's Security Police (SUPO) said the threat was timed to coincide with the US election, and noted that the videotaped statement from Osama bin Laden that was broadcast last week raised the possibility of new, September 11th-style attacks.