Britons Cautious After Saudi Blast

R I Y A D H, Nov. 19, 2000 -- British nationals in Saudi Arabia

were advised today to take extra security precautions after

an explosive device planted in a car killed a Briton in Riyadh.

“We have told them to keep a low profile, avoid crowdedplaces and be careful when they park their cars,” British ConsulIan Wilson said.

The warning came after Christopher Rodway was killed and hiswife, Jane, was slightly injured on Friday when a device plantedunder the seat of a four-wheel-drive vehicle driven by Rodwayexploded.

The couple, both in their late 40s, had been in Saudi Arabiafor eight years. Rodway had been the chief engineer in the VIPsection of the Military Hospital in Riyadh, Wilson said.

Saudi security officials have said they believe personalmotives, not terrorism, were behind the blast which coincidedwith the opening of a major energy conference in Riyadh and aMiddle East tour by U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen.

Personal Motives Suspected in Blast

The consul told Reuters his embassy had already been on a“fairly high state” of caution and the relatively big Britishcommunity was advised to take a number of security measures.

There are 26,000 British nationals working in the oil-richGulf Arab state in a wide variety of fields ranging from bankingto construction and medicine.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast which camefive weeks after a bomb was lobbed at the British embassy inneighboring Yemen.

No one was hurt in that explosion, which followed an apparentsuicide bombing that crippled the U.S. destroyer Cole, killing17 American sailors as it refueled in the southern Yemeni portof Aden on October 12.

Saudi security officials were quoted by the English-languageSaudi Gazette as saying that clues gathered so far “point topurely personal motives as being behind the killing” of Rodway.

Diplomats said the blast was an unusual event despiteattacks against U.S. targets in Saudi Arabia in 1995 and 1996,in which in 24 Americans were killed.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef has said he did not believethe latest incident was linked to Cohen’s visit or to the energyconference.