Posted on 12/07/2003 12:52:10 AM PST by Bobby777
Al-Qaida has launched a campaign designed to undermine the security and finances of the Saudi royal family.
Western intelligence sources said the latest al-Qaida attacks indicate a campaign is underway to isolate the Saudi royal family and threaten its financial base. The campaign is based on intimidating leading Arab and Western advisers from remaining in the kingdom.
The Nov. 9 attack on the Muhaya compound appeared to signal a shift in al-Qaida strategy. Until then, the sources said, al-Qaida targeted Western nationals in the kingdom who were not considered crucial to the regime's survival.
But in the Muhaya suicide car bombing, the target was a compound that housed Lebanese financial advisers to the royal family.
The sources said the Muhaya compound included bankers and smugglers who facilitated earnings of billions of dollars in undeclared revenue.
"The royal family is in a panic and now believes al-Qaida is playing for keeps," a senior Western intelligence source said. "Without its financial advisers, the family is completely exposed."
Al-Qaida has sown panic throughout the kingdom's security forces by demonstrating it can penetrate military and other facilities with ease. British and U.S. advisers have been of little use, the sources said, because the Saudi royal family does not want to disclose information that would demonstrate the extent of al-Qaida's influence in the country.
On Nov. 22, a fire was reported in the Riyad Armed Forces hospital. The fire destroyed several rooms and caused security forces to be placed on alert throughout the region. Several foreign nurses were injured.
"This is a deliberate campaign that seeks to increase the pressure on the royal family by telling them they aren't safe anywhere, even within their own military," another Western intelligence analyst said. "This has sparked a debate over how to reconcile with al-Qaida and end this war."
On Dec. 1, Saudi Arabia provided the first official details of the Nov. 9 bombing at the Muhaya compound. Al-Qaida had smuggled in explosives from Yemen to Saudi Arabia. In late November, Saudi authorities found an additional 1.2 tons of explosives believed to have been smuggled in from Yemen.
An interior ministry statement said that in the Nov. 9 attack, al-Qaida insurgents approached the Muhaya compound while firing rifles and hurling grenades toward the gate. While the firefight was taking place, a jeep painted with the insignia of security forces and packed with 300 kilograms explosives drove into the compound.
"Then it was blown up in a suicide operation," the statement said. "Investigators have found out who is behind this operation and measures are still being taken. Security forces are still chasing the perpetrators and, God willing, they will be found and brought to justice."
In Sanaa, meanwhile, Yemeni security forces arrested a senior al-Qaida leader, Mohammed Hamdi Al Ahdal, suspected of masterminding the suicide bombing of the USS Cole.
In 1999 Al Ahdal was arrested in Saudi Arabia and spent 14 months in prison for his ties to Saudi billionaire bomber Osama bin Laden. He was then deported to Yemen.
I am surprised the conversation has not focused on this. The Saudis are not trying to fight AQ...they know they'd lose. They are trying to re-establish the old we-support-you-and-you-leave-us-in-power deal with AQ. The Saudis are trying to strike a deal. But AQ knows that they would win the struggle too....no deal.
Now all that may be, but I'd just point out that "these wackos" you refer to number 1.3 Billion and are in almost every nation in the world. Warfare is no longer 2 nations lining up and sending their militaries against each other.
Do you honestly believe the U.S. would nuke Mecca and Medina?
People are very quick to advocate nuclear options, but as I mentioned to another poster, there are 1.3 Billion Muslims around the world, you nuke Mecca and Medina and you better start the draft and increase the military budget enormously as well as possibly install martial law within the U.S.
It looks more like Sammy bin Davis (no offense to the late Mr. Davis Jr. -- its just the way the likeness looks)
But yes, I think we are building to an end game where one or more US cities will suffer a WMD attack, or smallpox etc. After that, you can bet the President will be getting serious advice about snuffing out the source of Mad Mo's Mojo, the black moon-god kaaba rock.
However, I think a closer regional power will suffer the WMD attack first, and in turn they will be the ones who turn the moon-god rock into a crater.
I think that this is one of the reasons for the Iraq war. We freed up oil in an other part of the world and left Saudi Arabia so that is could sink into civil war, thus insuring that Saudi Arabia's troubles would not sink the rest of the world.
As for reformation of islam not a chance the koran does not allow for it, unlike the Reformation in Christianity that happened because people began to follow the Bible more fully. You follow the koran more fully all you get is blood shed.
Hmmm....maybe you have not seen the polls done on muslim populations and their support of AQ.
1) The Arab "masses"
seem to profoundly hate us.
If they all "move to"
"representative"
government, that would renew
a war with the West.
2) The way upper air
patterns work, nuclear strikes
any where result
in fallout patterns
distributed north and south
of the equator
in bands that include
all of the United States.
This "war" is complex.
They get off their duffs alright, when their population numbers have grown enough within a society. Saudi Arabia is not the only country that sponsers islamic terrorism. Look at Lebenon, that was Iran and Syria sponsered. Lets not forget all the money that Lybia and Egypt also throw into the mix, and all those wonderful islamic charities.
You take Saudi money out of the mix(which I think that we are in the process of doing), and an other power hungry islamic group just fill the spot. It is the call of the religion not just one sect of the religion.
This is the same panic experienced by Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
It may be just wishful thinking on my part, but I do not think that we are protecting Saudi Arabia. The minute we took control of Iraq (securing a stable oil supply for the world) the first thing we did was take our military out of Saudi Arabia.
I do not see us rushing in to help Saudi Arabia in anyway with their AQ problem. I think we are going to let them sink into civil war. The princes will either have to clear out AQ from the kingdom(something we have been asking them to do) or they will die at AQ's hands. No more status quo from us, and we do not have to lift a finger. Muslims can fight among themselves, keeping the war over there and not on our soil. Maybe they will exaust themselves.
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