Standing in the leafy courtyard of the US Embassy here, it is hard to imagine this country may be the most dangerous posting in the world for American diplomats.

The government compound looks more like a country club. Lush gardens surround an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a restaurant, and a softball field. Then a siren rings, and embassy staff pour out of the building. "Secure all classified materials. Close all windows," blares the voice of a Marine guard over the loudspeaker. "At this time you are advised to evacuate."

Staff pile into armored vans, guided by agents from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the State Department agency that oversees America's embassies and diplomats. "Squeeze in! Squeeze in!" shouts one agent.

The cars prepare to drive off, when another bell sounds. The drill is over. Regional Security Officer Michael Evanoff checks his watch: It took less than six minutes to empty the compound.

The US-led war in Afghanistan may have toppled the Taliban and ousted Al Qaeda terrorists from their long-time sanctuary. But it also flushed the problem into neighboring Pakistan, where homegrown extremist groups are now working alongside Al Qaeda, putting US installations and the small American community here under constant threat of attack.

"This is now the epicenter of terrorism," says Mr. Evanoff, who oversees security for the embassy and its consulates here. "It really is. This is the only country I know in the world that has so many groups that are against the US or Western ideals."

Last year alone, these groups pulled off seven strikes against the US community here, including a March church bombing in Islamabad that killed five - among them an American woman from the embassy and her daughter - and a June truck bomb at the Karachi consulate that killed 14 Pakistanis.

Last month, the Karachi outpost avoided another major attack when local police arrested Yemeni national Waleed bin Attash and five other alleged Al Qaeda members with 300 pounds of explosives. It's believed that Mr. Attash, suspected of playing a leading role in the USS Cole attack, planned to bomb the consulate.

The routine attacks and constant threats - intelligence officials and diplomatic security staff often analyze as many as five a day - have turned the US installations here into virtual fortresses. The sprawling compound in Islamabad is surrounded by thick brick ramparts, topped with razor wire, and reinforced by steel pillars to keep a vehicle from smashing through.

Staff members have been trained to check their cars for bombs and their residences for suspicious behavior. In 2001, two diplomats found small explosive devices had been attached to their cars using magnets.

Page: 1 | 2