Al-Qaeda 'targeting Muslim holy month of Ramadan' (says Saudi Prince Nayef)

The Scotsman ^ | November 5th, 2003 | Foreign Staff

[Sabertooth]

PRINCE Nayef, the Saudi Arabia interior minister, said yesterday his country had thwarted a terror attack on pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca by militants believed to be linked to Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda terror network.

"These people are targeting the [holy Muslim] month of Ramadan," he told the leading Saudi ne wspaper, al-Riyadh. "They wanted to make the entire country a place for terror without any exception and even in the holiest place on Earth, where Saudis and non-Saudis come to pray to God."

The minister was referring to a shoot-out in Mecca on Monday in which Saudi Arabia said it foiled an imminent terrorist attack and killed two Muslim militants.

The clash came just over a week after United States and British authorities warned of a threat of attacks on western targets in the kingdom during Ramadan, which started last Monday, and urged nationals to avoid travelling to the country.

The interior minister said the kingdom was taking such warnings seriously and welcomed any information from US and British authorities that could help their crackdown.

A western diplomat said the latest clash did not necessarily show a rise in militant activity but was part of a growing resolve by Saudi authorities to battle militancy since suicide bombings in Riyadh killed 35 people in May.

"I don't see an increase in the number of operations by the terrorists but I see a steady stream of counter terrorism conducted by the Saudis since the May bombing," the Riyadh-based diplomat said.

He said by choosing to attack Muslim pilgrims, the militants wanted to challenge and undermine the Saudi authorities. "The motive is to make life difficult for the Saudis. By conducting such operations they create problems for them."

Prince Nayef said that during Monday's clash, Saudi police arrested six militants believed to be linked to bin Laden. Police arrested four of the militants and two others handed themselves over, he said. One of the four was wounded.

[Sabertooth]

Prince Nayef ranks high within the Saudi Royal Family...

Minister of the Interior: HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

Born: 1934
Education: Studied religion, diplomacy and security affairs.
Positions Held: Governor of Riyadh, 1953-54; Deputy Minister of the Interior; Minister of State for Internal Affairs, 1970; President, Supreme Council for Information; Minister of the Interior since 1975.
Saudi Embassy link

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[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[cmsgop]

You are working OT, I thank you.

[5veingrafts]

remember when we pc'd up and said no fighting during this "holy period." How can we be such idiots?

[Poohbah]

al-Qaeda used to have senior people who would stop attacks like these--they tend to alienate the affections of their brother Muslims. It was one of the things that made AQ so effective. Now, they're either getting caught (bad PR) or they actually succeed in blowing up some pilgrims during the Islamic equivalent of Lent (abysmally, terminally, cosmically very bad PR).

Methinks we're winning, slowly but surely.

[Unam Sanctam]

These monsters are attacking their own religion of Islam. I hope this will show the crowd here who denounce Islam pure and simple that it is the Islamists and jihadis and their sympathizers who are the enemy, not the religion of Islam itself (although as a Christian I do not believe in the Islamic faith).

[Quix]

Is it my . . . above average . . . wary-ness . . .

or

In the last several days . . .

there have been at least a few pieces of some unknown puzzle

. . . . pointing toward an escalation of . . . drama at least and terror, probably?

It seems to me that Mecca is a pretty lofty, high, potent, intense target location.

It is difficult for me to believe that they would target Mecca WITHOUT ALSO TARGETING at least SOME key USA cities.

Which brings us to the warning to get out of NY, DC and LA.

Which reminds me of the prophetic msg warning the last 40 days sometime about an impending something--some sort of dramatic attack or event in the US and "28 other countries" evidently sponsored by terrorists.

. . . . and given our ugliness regarding Israel . . . I wonder what lessons God may be ready to allow us to experience.

But then, I'm me . . . atypical and all that . . . but I'm curious, Sabertooth and others . . .

HAS ANYONE

else had similar feelings recently?

[Travis McGee]

Yes.

[glock rocks]

oh yah.

[Sabertooth]

Saudi Minister: Al Qaeda planned to kill Mecca pilgrims during Ramadan

04-11-2003, 09:27

Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda activists were plotting to kill Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca during the fasting month of Ramadan, the Saudi Interior Minister said after security forces shot dead two "terrorists".

All eight members of an Islamist cell smashed in Mecca on Monday were from the al-Qaeda network, Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz told Al-Riyadh Tuesday.

"Undoubtedly, they all belong to the same movement and follow the same tactics," the minister said when asked if the cell was linked to al-Qaeda which the Saudi authorities blamed for killing 35 people in Riyadh in May.

"They targeted the month of Ramadan ... when the Saudi and non-Saudi faithful gather" in Mecca for the umrah or minor pilgrimage, he said. Two members of the cell surrendered and four others were captured, one with wounds, after a shootout, Nayef added.
Al-Bawaba - November 4th, 2003

[Travis McGee]

What would be the motive for a terror attack on Mecca? Disapproval of the ruling family?

Was it 1979 that Shiites took over Mecca and 1000s were killed?

[Coroner]

You are correct its 95% of muslims that make the other 5% look bad!!

[Unam Sanctam]

Whether it's 5% or not, I don't know, but shouldn't we be encouraging any forces for enlightenment in the Islamic world rather than talking about nuking Mecca as some do around here?

[Poohbah]

What would be the motive for a terror attack on Mecca? Disapproval of the ruling family?

Try "Lack of adult supervision."

al-Qaeda used to have senior operatives all over who could head off the more foolishly hot-headed junior people and keep them from doing something cosmically stupid, like killing Muslim pilgrims during the Islamic equivalent of Lent. Fortunately for America, most of those people are in custody or dead, and the survivors are maintaining a low profile.

It's a sign that they're losing effectiveness.

Was it 1979 that Shiites took over Mecca and 1000s were killed?

Yes. Man, did it annoy the Sunnis. This stunt isn't going to endear the Saudi elites to al-Qaeda.

[MediaMole]

An attack in Mecca could be used as "provocation" for the attack in the US and Europe. Al Qaeda would not be past sacrificing some pilgrims in an "unprovoked Zionist attack."

They would conveniently be able to retaliate against the western infidels almost immediately and to the acclaim of the Arab Street.

[Sabertooth]

What would be the motive for a terror attack on Mecca? Disapproval of the ruling family?

Bin Laden (if he's still alive) wants to establish his Caliphate. The House of Saud, for all of their Wahabbi funding, are viewed by Al Qaeda as the fat, swinish pawns of the West.

The Mahdi needs to secure Mecca in addition to launching his jihad from Afghanistan.

[Ethyl]

and given our ugliness regarding Israel . . . I wonder what lessons God may be ready to allow us to experience.

But then, I'm me . . . atypical and all that . . . but I'm curious, Sabertooth and others . . .

HAS ANYONE

else had similar feelings recently?

What does this mean? "and given our ugliness regarding Israel" What ugliness is that?

[Quix]

--insisting we can go after terrorists while insisting they protect one of the chief terrorists sworn to Israel's destruction--Arafart

--giving them lots of flack over the wall/fence

--restraining them from decisive actions against terrorists camps north of them

--restraining them re Iran's nukes

--withholding money

--pretending that militant Islam is not the evil it is

And various other recent things which I've forgotten.

[Ethyl]

These monsters are attacking their own religion of Islam. I hope this will show the crowd here who denounce Islam pure and simple that it is the Islamists and jihadis and their sympathizers who are the enemy, not the religion of Islam itself (although as a Christian I do not believe in the Islamic faith).


Yea, it is a funny thing, since all the attacks on America or it's interests were by muslims??? From the Lebonnon attack,to the US Cole then 9/11 attacks all were by muslims, methinks there is a pattern there? Why doesn't our Government pick up on that??? Or the so-called-decent muslims that live in America? Hmmm Political correctness run amuck. They did it, so say so and punish them and all their supporters, the few innocents should go back to where they came from, they will be more comfortable there. So they won't be guilty of more attacks on America.

[Ethyl]

--insisting we can go after terrorists while insisting they protect one of the chief terrorists sworn to Israel's destruction--Arafart

--giving them lots of flack over the wall/fence

--restraining them from decisive actions against terrorists camps north of them

--restraining them re Iran's nukes

--withholding money

--pretending that militant Islam is not the evil it is

And various other recent things which I've forgotten.


I agree with your "ugliness" statement, we should let them defend themselves in any way they see fit!