US pulls non-essential embassy staff from Tunis, Khartoum

The US State Department announced Saturday that it was ordering the departure of all non-emergency government personnel from Tunisia and Sudan, a day after its embassies in both countries were stormed and damaged by demonstrators, DPA reported.

The statement from Washington warned US citizens "against all travel to Tunisia at this time," and warned of the risks of travel to Sudan, where the terrorist threat level "remains critical."

Demonstrations since Tuesday in Muslim countries have targeted US and other Western embassies, ostensibly over an obscure, anti-Islam internet video. An attack on the US consulate in Benghazi left four US personnel dead including the ambassador to Libya.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said earlier Saturday that the United States had requested stepped up security at the Khartoum embassy, and that the Sudanese government "has recommitted itself both publicly and privately to continue to protect our mission, as it is obligated to do under the Vienna Convention. ... We are continuing to monitor the situation closely to ensure we have what we need to protect our people and facility."