US Won’t Apologise for Prioritising Safety of Its Citizens Amid Terror Attack Warning Backlash

• The government of the United States of America has broken its silence on the security alert backlash
• The US State Department is adamant that it fulfilled its obligation to its US citizens by warning about a potential terror attack in Sandton
• The security alert ruffled some feathers and almost caused a diplomatic spat between the SA government and the US

WASHINGTON D.C- Edward Price, spokesperson of the United States Department of State said the US's priority is the safety and security of US citizens worldwide.

This comes after the Embassy of the United States of America in South Africa issued a security alert warning its citizens of a potential terror attack in the great Sandton area on the weekend of 29-30 October.

The weekend passed for many anxious South Africans, but there were no reports of a terrorist attack anywhere in the nation.

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The security alert resulted in widespread backlash, most notably from President Cyril Ramaphosa who rebuked the United States for making the security threat warning without consulting his administration.

Even though the terror attack amounted to nothing, Price maintained that the US government acts on information to reduce threats against its citizens, News24 reported.

Price added that the US was responsible for providing American citizens with timely information regarding a potential threat.

According to Daily Maverick, the US government also hinted that its embassy in Pretoria did consult the SA government before issuing the security alert to its citizens.

Price added that he understood why SA feathers were ruffled by the security alert and reiterated that the US government cooperates closely with countries worldwide on shared concerns about security.

South Africans react to the US government's statements

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South Africans were surprised by the US government's stance regarding the security alert.

Here are some reactions:

@PopupsBanners commented:

"They simply see nothing wrong with their action and the consequences it had on the country, wow."

@kgotsomaphike claimed:

"Countries are sovereign. They have their independence. Respect that first and foremost."

@Jonatha63315790 added:

"The only thing the US should do is to ensure they had involved the higher-ups like the SA President and his cronies. Otherwise, the US did a good deed."

Terrorist expert says US embassy’s security alert stopped Sandton attack, Mzansi thinks its “nonsense”

In a related story, Briefly News reported that a terrorism expert has claimed that the US embassy's security alert served its purpose since there was no terrorist attack.

Last week on Wednesday, 26 October, United States embassy issued a terror alert to American citizens warning of an potential attack in Sandton, Johannesburg.

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Panic ensued as South Africans worried about their safety throughout the weekend. President Cyril Ramaphosa broke his silence and rubbished the security alert saying the claims were unfounded and slamed the US embassy for jumping the gun, TimesLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News