Mideast attacks spark fears of surge of anti-Americanism

KUWAIT CITY -- In Kuwait, two American soldiers are shot on a quiet stretch of desert highway. In Lebanon, an American nurse is murdered at a clinic. In Jordan, a U.S. diplomat is gunned down in his front yard.

As U.S. soldiers prepare for possible war with Iraq, and as violence continues in American-allied Israel and the Palestinian territories, a series of attacks on Americans in the Middle East has sparked fears that even friendly nations like Kuwait are no longer enclaves of safety.

"The thing that is scary, that's different this time, is that it seems more organized," said Felix Reinberg, an American engineer who has spent 11 years working in Kuwait. "They've never really targeted Americans or Westerners in Kuwait."

The Kuwaiti government, eager to keep good relations with Washington, has portrayed the shooting as the act of a single, mentally ill man, not a reflection of broad anti-American feelings. But local press reports say the suspect, Khaled al-Shimmiri, told investigators he hated Americans and Jews.

Kuwait is, in many ways, emblematic of how complicated America's image problems and security concerns can be in the Middle East.

"Most Kuwaitis want America to stay in Kuwait because they don't trust Saddam," said Abdul-Razzak al-Shayegi, an Islamic law scholar. "But how can I want America to be in Kuwait and shut my mouth about what they are doing in Israel? ... How can I give America our land to attack Iraq?"

With anti-American sentiment on the rise, Kuwait's large, open American presence can offer easy targets.

"Just 10 Kuwaitis planning to kill or do something against Americans, nobody can block them," Sahar said.

Officially, the Kuwaiti government says the country is unreservedly pro-American. "Be sure that all Kuwait -- all Kuwait, all Kuwaitis -- appreciate and welcome the Americans," said Khalid Al-Jarallah, an undersecretary in the Foreign Ministry.

Privately, though, some Kuwaiti officials acknowledge security concerns. Since the fatal shooting of a U.S. Marine and the wounding of another in an attack by Islamic extremists Oct. 8, nearly 25 percent of the country has been sealed off, left to U.S. and Kuwaiti soldiers preparing for war with Iraq.

Yet few if any expatriates have decided to leave. American diplomats say there have always been some security threats in Kuwait, and they don't believe recent incidents show a surge in anti-Americanism.

The official U.S. response has been different in Jordan, another American ally, where diplomat Laurence Foley was killed in October as he walked to his car. Authorities believe the attack was politically motivated, but have made no arrests.

Last week, the U.S. State Department authorized the departure of nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy and, on Saturday, the Peace Corps announced it was suspending operations in the Arab kingdom.

As in Kuwait, there is little open anti-Americanism in Jordan. But many Jordanians share an anger common in the Arab world over U.S. foreign policy -- particularly U.S. support for Israel.

"I like the Americans, they are nice people and I respect them," said Eva Iffat, 24, an accountant. "But the American administration is the one which has created sentiments of hatred and anger by the Arab people against it."

The most recent incident came in Lebanon on Thursday, when Bonnie Penner, a nurse at a Christian missionary clinic was shot by a gunman who knocked at the clinic door. Lebanese security officials say their investigation is focusing on the possibility that Penner's slaying was the result of "mounting anti-American sentiments in the Middle East."

A senior Palestinian guerrilla official, however, said the killing was due to "a hostile Muslim reaction" to purported attempts to convert Muslims in the area to Christianity. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since Sept. 11, American embassies have sent notices to thousands of expatriate Americans worldwide, warning them to keep a low profile.

But some expatriates say that will solve nothing.

Kirsten Scheid, an American living in Lebanon and married to a Lebanese, urged Americans to proclaim themselves: "Say you're American and that there are many kinds of Americans, remind people of that ... Remind people that they have to talk to each other always."