While certainly one should certainly view these US Gov't advisories on a case by case basis, I'd chalk this one up as similar to the CDC's advisory on the dangers of eating under cooked beef. Some of the stuff coming out from the US Gov't (this coming from an American) is just plain silly and utterly non-sensical. Just some common sense, like don't go vacationing into foreign countries spouting political nonsense. I mean, how hard is it to be an apolitical tourist?