Some Defense sources question whether the threat is as dire as State and CIA are portraying it, and note that the withdrawal of U.S. personnel with such fanfare could be seen by the Saudis as a vote of no confidence in their security forces. According to this view, potential terrorists might also view the pullout as evidence of Riyadh’s weakness. But intelligence and diplomatic sources said the evacuation would not have been ordered if the threat were not regarded as real, severe and imminent.
