Posted on 02/26/2006 12:46:25 PM PST by FairOpinion
RIYADH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda suicide bombers in Saudia Arabia used two tonnes (4,400 lb) of explosives in their foiled attack on the world's largest oil processing plant, the Saudi Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
A ministry statement said each of the two pick-up trucks used in Friday's attack carried one tonne of an explosive made with ammonium nitrate. There were also unspecified quantities of other explosives including nitroglycerine and RDX.
Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia vowed more attacks after the foiled raid which caused a massive explosion at the gate of the site in eastern Saudi Arabia, where most of the oil resources of the world's biggest crude oil producer are located.
The ministry statement said DNA tests showed that the two suicide attackers who died in the blast were Mohammed al-Ghaith and Abdullah al-Tweijri -- both on a list of top wanted al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.
Al Qaeda in Saudia Arabia had identified the two men already on Saturday and said in an Internet statement that the attack came in response to a call by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to target oil installations.
Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said oil and gas output was unaffected by the "terrorist attempt" on the plant -- the first direct strike on a Saudi energy target since al Qaeda launched attacks aimed at toppling the U.S.-allied monarchy in 2003.
Oil prices jumped $2 a barrel on news of the attack in the world's largest oil exporter, which came about a year after bin Laden urged his supporters to hit Gulf oil targets.
It was the first major strike by militants opposed to the Saudi royals since suicide bombers tried to storm the Interior Ministry in Riyadh in December 2004. A most wanted list issued by Saudi authorities in June gave Ghaith's age as 23 and said Tweijri was 21 years old.
20 bags of good fertilzer isn't hard to get.
There's the real crime! This gouging nonsense has to stop!
Now the top-wanteds are going homicidal/suicidal. Maybe they're running out of recruits.
"Now the top-wanteds are going homicidal/suicidal. Maybe they're running out of recruits."
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Good observation.
I think Al Qaeda is falling apart, but of course they are still capable of a lot of damage.
The first is that there was enough left of the nutjobs to run DNA tests on.
The second is that there is a database adequate to identify them immediately.
Gives one hope...
This IS Hugh!
And series!
Does this mean that Ted Kennedy has met his maker?
Although your thoughts are highly respectable FO, what makes this statement a pleasing one is that Al Qaeda knows this to be true! : )
That's a lot of shiite!
What more, even the MSM slips and actually mentions it:
Attack shows battered Al-Qaeda can still hit inside Saudi Arabia
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060225-1437-saudi-explosion.html
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I don't remember another time, when the MSM actually referred to Al Qaeda as "battered" before.
They are actually accepting their own demise by reporting the demise of Al Qaeda.
It must be a tough revelation for them to accept!
True, but I'm still having trouble picturing a market for fertilizer in the desert. In the same vein as baby milk and aspirin factories (LOL).
Sunni side up.
If you have a better alternative to the free market, I'm listening.
It was two small pickup trucks, not a hugh lorrie.
Then picture the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
If these nutjobs are significant enough to be in our database yet are being used up as suicide bombers, then the enemy is in its last throes.
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