The main address for this site is http://expat.silvert.org. All other sites are mirrors and may be out-of-date.

The Deputy Chief of Mission, William MacGlynn, wrote as follows:

"We have no indication that the threat to US facilities outside the US has increased.  We have been asked to enhance our security posture at all US facilities, and we have done so here at Embassy Lisbon."

On September 12, the day after the terrorist attacks, one of the major groups of Americans living in Portugal cancelled a scheduled luncheon meeting. I think that in the absence of a clear threat, we should have met and spoken to each other. This was a traumatic experience, and we can be our own support group in coping with it. To run and hide in response to any terrorist attack just encourages terrorism and provides only the illusion of safety. As New York's Mayor Giuliani said, if we fail to carry on our lives as usual we hand the terrorists an even greater victory.

I think that we can learn a lot from the example of Israeli citizens, who are at risk both at home and when they travel, but who face terrorist danger with a judicious combination of caution and courage. During some of the worst periods of international anti-Israeli terrorism I attended scientific conferences where Americans withdrew because of fears for their safety (even that symbol of American toughness, Sly Stallone, cancelled his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival one year!) while the Israelis all came, as did Jews from other countries.

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