Posted on 06/08/2004 4:49:23 PM PDT by saquin
Three al-Qaeda militants dressed as women have staged an audacious attempt to free the wounded ringleader of the killing spree in al-Khobar from the top security hospital in Saudi Arabia where he is under police guard.
Witnesses told The Times how the terrorists tried to reach Nimir Bigami, who was so badly injured in the gun battle with Saudi security forces last week that his gang had left him for dead as they escaped.
Twenty-two people were killed in that attack. The offensive against foreigners continued yesterday when an American defence contractor was killed in a drive-by shooting outside his home in an affluent suburb of Riyadh. The victim worked for the Vinnell Corporation, which trains the Saudi National Guard.
Simon Cumbers, a British television cameraman, was shot dead in the Saudi capital on Sunday and Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, was critically injured.
Hospital staff said that in the attempt yesterday to free the leader of the al-Khobar attack three militants slipped through the main entrance. The bombproof metal security gates had been left open at the Ministry of Interior medical complex in Riyadh. All visitors are meant to show identity documents, but reports say that the terrorists were cloaked from head to foot in women’s veils.
An Asian businessmen who was visiting the hospital said: “The guards don’t bother to check women even though there have been several incidents in recent weeks where terrorists have worn abayas. Security staff simply don’t challenge or search women but this will have to change.”
Witnesses said that, once inside the hospital, the gunmen threatened foreign staff and shouted out Bigami’s name, saying that they were willing to die to free him. Although the hospital treats senior figures in the Saudi Royal Family there is a wing where terrorist suspects are given medical aid.
It is not known if the three gunmen opened fire, but when they failed to reach the prison wing they were able to flee the hospital, again evading security guards.
Websites used by extremist groups inside Saudi Arabia claimed that Bigami had been airlifted in secret from a military hospital in Dhahran to a special wing at the security force complex.
Medical staff say that Bigami is handcuffed to the bed at all times despite massive injuries, which doctors say may result in his having a leg amputated. Police are anxious to question him about who planned and carried out the al-Khobar attack and their links with other al-Qaeda operations in recent weeks. The audacity of the hospital raid demonstrates the increasing confidence of al-Qaeda cells who boasted on the internet this week that poor security in al-Khobar made getting into compounds housing Westerners “a walk in the park”. The group’s statements also insisted that any Westerners in the Kingdom, including civilians, were legitimate targets in its proclaimed drive to “cleanse” the country of “infidels”. But it clearly sees a public relations premium in killing Americans attached to the military.
The drive-by shooting yesterday was the fifth attack on Western expatriates in the past five weeks and is expected to accelerate the exodus of foreign workers. Seven other Vinnell employees died in the first major al-Qaeda attack in Riyadh last May in a triple suicide bombing on housing compounds used by Westerners.
Sources at the King Fahd hospital said that yesterday’s victim had nine bullet wounds to the head. A local witness said that the American had been followed from a nearby clinic to his home by two or three gunmen.
Although the hospital treats senior figures in the Saudi Royal Family there is a wing where terrorist suspects are given medical aid.
Hmm...
The same wing for the same patients?
Orson Scott Card just wrote an article about leftist slants. He also specifically wrote that the leftists use "gunman" in their headlines instead of terrorists. I will post the article.
What a bunch of friggin idiots. Cant we just Nuke them now?
Heck of a way to achieve equality of the sexes.
I think these wackos read too many Tom Clancy novels.
Hmm is right!
Staff must have known they were coming , they just came and went.
Sounds to me like security let them enter and let them escape.
Just because Saudi royals become terrorists doesn't mean they lose the privilege of the best royal hospitals...
Prince Abdullah needs to use this lack of security as an excuse to dismiss Prince Nayef! This is obviously a total failure of the security forces Nayef is in charge of.
Since the three are obviously in the midst of a gender crisis, it would only be appropriate to surgically alter them upon capture so that they can live out their dream of being Arab Muslim women!
Compassion. Where's your compassion?
Just kiddin.
Maybe the Saudis should keep his whereabouts secret.
Royals.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1150553/posts
KARACHI - The recent spate of militant attacks in Saudi Arabia has largely been attributed to the work of al-Qaeda, and some cells purporting to represent the terror organization have even claimed responsibility for some of the bloodshed.
However, intelligence sources of Pakistani origin in Saudi Arabia tell Asia Times Online that the militants are more likely fragmented groups of Saudi youths who want to undermine the ruling House of Saud. And these include a segment of the massive royalty that is deprived of key positions.
...an excuse to dismiss Prince Nayef!
LOL and pigs will fly.
I resent those remarks. Bush has said they're valiant allies.
I hope you're not calling the President a liar.
Plus, how do you expect Dubya to kill the golden goose. Between Poppy and him and all his siblings, they've made tons of money from the Saudis.
Just because the Saudis murdered 3000 in America in broad daylight is no reason to give up the Mother of ALL Gravy Trains!
Remember, the whole focus of our so called war on a tactic is JOBONE - PROTECT THE SAUDIS!
Ugh...
Loserdopian Alert...
...I didn't feel to even get the .GIF.
That's right. You cannot confront the fact that your President places Saudi interests above those of America.
All you're reduced to is calling names.
Idiot.
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