DATE= 10/31/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= U-S FORCES / MIDEAST (L ONLY)

NUMBER=2-268678

BYLINE= ALEX BELIDA

DATELINE= PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-S forces in two more Middle Eastern countries have been placed on the highest state of alert because of terrorist threats. V-O-A Pentagon Correspondent Alex Belida reports on that and U-S-Egyptian security concerns over the Suez Canal in the wake of the bombing of a U-S destroyer.

TEXT: Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon says U-S forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia now have been placed on threat condition "delta," the highest state of alert. The move, ordered Monday, follows an earlier decision to place U-S forces in Bahrain and Quatar on the same "delta" status because of terrorist threats. U-S forces in the Yemeni harbor of Aden were elevated to "delta" immediately after the deadly October 12th terrorist bombing of the U-S destroyer Cole.

Mr. Bacon says the heightened alert in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia affects some 10-thousand U-S military personnel in those two countries. He says it was ordered because of what he termed "credible" threats. But he says no targets were specified.

The Pentagon spokesman is meanwhile disputing news reports saying the Defense Department has decided to order U-S Navy ships to temporarily stop using the Suez Canal out of fear of terrorist attack.

Mr. Bacon says no such instructions have been given. But he acknowledges security along the canal is being constantly evaluated.

/// BACON ACTUALITY ///

We are evaluating with the Egyptians, obviously, the security situation in the canal. We do that all the time, so do the Egyptians. We both have a very fundamental interest in keeping the canal secure.

/// END ACTUALITY ///

No U-S ships have transited through the canal since before the October 12th attack on the U-S destroyer Cole in Aden.

But Mr. Bacon says no ships were scheduled to make the trip for several weeks.

The badly-damaged Cole has been towed out of Aden harbor, and is being loaded aboard a Norwegian-owned heavy-lift ship called the Blue Marlin. Mr. Bacon says no decision has yet been made on the route the Blue Marlin will take to return the destroyer to the United States for repairs. (Signed)

NEB/BEL/TDW