Tuesday the State Dept. issued a "worldwide caution," which is to stay in effect until February 2, 2006. The key word here is "worldwide." It includes every spot on the globe except the Western Hemisphere and Antartica—

Current information suggests that al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings. Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. The latter may include facilities where U.S. citizens and other foreigners congregate or visit, including residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels and public areas.

While Bush and Blair continue to deny any linkage between the London bombings and the invasion of Iraq, the State Dept. couldn't make the linkage any clearer&mdash

As causes of concern, the department cited spillover from the U.S. intervention in Iraq in and outside the Middle East, as well as other recent terrorist attacks in Europe. 'Ongoing events in Iraq have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries; such events are likely to continue for the foreseeable future,' the statement said. 'U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security.'"

So your globetrotting days are done and you think it's time to check out some Mayan pyramids. Well, don't forget your passport! You'll be facing some new requirements under the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative". Specifically,

• December 31, 2005 – Passport or other accepted document required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.
• December 31, 2006 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.
• December 31, 2007 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air, sea and land border crossings.

To put it more plainly, by 12/31/07 U.S. citizens will not be allowed to leave the United States or its territories without a passport—period.

I seem to remember several countries during the Cold War where that happened. Now where was it? Let me think.

No word yet whether passports will be required for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers entering the country annually. Presumably they will remain free to travel.