US Shuts Mideast, African Embassies

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” The bombing of a U.S. warship and increasing violence in the Middle East prompted the State Department to close many of its embassies and consulates for the weekend.

All posts in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf region and north Africa will be closed to public business until Monday, as will those in Nigeria, Tanzania, Senegal, Mauritania, Djibouti, South Africa, Kenya, Pakistan and Sierra Leone.

In each case, U.S. personnel will remain on the job to look out for the interests of Americans, a department spokesman, Philip Reeker, said.

``We will continue to evaluate the situation,'' he said.

The announcement came a day after the USS Cole, one of the Navy's most advanced warships, was bombed during a refueling stop in Yemen and violence increased in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.